KUALA LUMPUR: E-hailing drivers have expressed gratitude to the government for the one-off RM500 payment in the Prihatin Rakyat Economic Stimulus Package (Prihatin).
Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin today announced that e-hailing drivers will receive the one-off payment to ease their financial burden during the Covid-19 pandemic and the Movement Control Order (MCO).
Faisal Hussin, a full-time GrabCar driver, said he was thankful for the aid.
The 40-year old father of two said his income had been badly affected by the MCO.
He said before the Covid-19 pandemic, he could earn up to RM300 per day, but after the deadly infection outbreak, it was hard for him to get even RM100.
Faisal who started driving full-time last year, said many e-hailing drivers had decided not to drive anymore since it was not worth the risk of having an infected passenger.
“When the government announced the one-off RM500 payment, I felt that it could ease our burden throughout the MCO.
“But if the extension of MCO goes beyond April 14, it would be insufficient,” he said.
He added that those who use rental cars for e-hailing services are feeling the burden more as they have to pay the daily rental of the car.
Meanwhile, Lynn, 34, from Klang said she regarded the government’s initiative as a blessing.
“I am still paying for the car and the one-off payment will help a bit with the car maintenance,” she said, adding that she was thankful that the Prime Minister had put e-hailing drivers in mind when coming up with the stimulus package.
Hishamuddin Abdul Manaf, 26, was also on the same page saying that the RM500 would help ease the burden of e-hailing drivers as the number of customers are declining due to the stay-home order.
"I am thankful that the government thought of us too.
"People are working from home these days and only a handful need our services and this had affected my income," he said.
Muhyiddin earlier announced that 120,000 e-hailing drivers nationwide will benefit from the initiative, totalling RM60 million.
“I understand that the daily incomes of full-time e-hailing drivers have been affected by the implementation of the Movement Control Order (MCO)," he said.
He noted that in the first Economic Stimulus Package announced by the previous administration, only taxi drivers were eligible to receive a one-off payment of RM600 each, starting April 1, 2020.