Loke said the Land Public Transport Agency (Apad) had never issued any directive or statement banning SUVs for e-hailing purposes, and that there had been no change in policy on the criteria for e-hailing vehicles.

He reiterated that e-hailing vehicles simply need to meet the technical specifications and be able to seat four to 11 passengers.

“The ministry understands the concerns raised among e-hailing drivers and operators, and wishes to assure them that the registration process will continue as usual in accordance with the existing rules and guidelines,” Loke said in a statement.

The Star previously reported that SUV drivers had been restricted from registering their vehicles when applying for their public service vehicle licences.

Existing e-hailing drivers who recently switched vehicles to SUVs reportedly faced similar issues as well.

The report quoted e-hailing drivers’ groups as seeking clarification from the road transport department and Apad on whether SUVs could be registered for e-hailing purposes.