Transport expert Rosli Azad Khan said neighbouring countries had rolled out motorcycle e-hailing services, but Malaysia seemed hesitant to do the same.

“Motorcycle e-hailing services are not allowed here due to safety issues. They have been done safely in Indonesia and Thailand, but I don’t know why it’s not being introduced in Malaysia,” he said.

Last November, deputy transport minister Henry Sum Agong said there are no plans to introduce motorcycle e-hailing services in the country because of the high rate of road deaths among motorcyclists.

Rosli said riders could be screened before being hired for e-hailing services, which would provide insurance cover for passengers and use GPS tracking to keep tabs on the motorcycles in use.

Nabil Feisal Bamadhaj, who founded Malaysia’s e-hailing service Dego Ride, said motorcycle e-hailing services would appeal to those who can’t afford to travel by taxis or private car e-hailing services.

Dego Ride started in July 2015 but was forced to stop two years later after road safety concerns. It currently provides motorcycle delivery services.

Nabil said an informal survey conducted by his team at LRT stations showed that commuters were receptive to the lower cost and faster travelling time of motorcycle e-hailing services.