He said the extension will be granted for any public service vehicle that has or will reach its respective permitted age limit between Jan 1 and Dec 31 this year and that has undergone and passed the Puspakom vehicle inspection for roadworthiness and safe operation.

Wee said the move was to aid the public transport sector, particularly those operating or driving taxis, school and tour buses to weather the difficulties caused by the Covid-19 pandemic.

“The decision to grant this extension was made with the understanding that many drivers and operators will face difficulty in replacing their vehicles during this challenging time,” he said in a statement.

The minister said all public service vehicle classes under the purview of the land public transport agency (APAD) and the respective commercial vehicle licensing boards of Sabah and Sarawak were eligible for the extension.

Wee said the decision regarding the extension for tour or excursion buses had also been made in coordination with tour operator licensing, and tour or excursion bus licensing in Sabah, Sarawak and Labuan requirements under the purview of the tourism, arts and culture ministry.

He said the automatic extension decision was made following consultations and engagements between the ministry and the industry’s representatives and associations.

“We hope that this automatic extension of the vehicle age limit for one year will bring some relief to the industry as companies focus on recovering to become competitive again to serve the public,” he added.