Transport minister Loke Siew Fook said of that number, 3,500 PSV licences were for e-hailing and taxi drivers while the remaining 500 were for PSV bus drivers.

Loke said that apart from helping members of the B40 group, who would otherwise have to spend RM2,590 to obtain a PSV bus licence, the initiative was also introduced to meet the needs of the transport industry which is experiencing a chronic shortage of bus drivers.

“The country needs thousands of bus drivers, not only for Prasarana (Malaysia Bhd), but also express bus and stage bus companies in the country,” he said.

“I was made to understand that some express bus companies are experiencing a shortage of drivers, with low salary (being) one of the factors (contributing to this),” he said after launching the national-level MyPSV Programme 2023 here today.

Loke said the initiative was part of the government’s responsibility to open up opportunities for the public to improve their socioeconomic status and household income through jobs in the public transport service sector.

“This programme will also directly support and improve the survival of the public transport and tourism sectors in the country,” he added.

He said the MyPSV programme could help produce competent and safe bus, taxi and e-hailing drivers as the eligible applicants would be required to undergo training and tests to ensure their competence before being issued the PSV vocational licence and allowed to drive public service vehicles.