JPJ Raids E-Hailing Company inDriver Office In Bukit Bintang

It’s not looking great for incoming e-hailing player inDriver’s rollout plans as a JPJ enforcement team was dispatched to raid on a Bukit Bintang office processing driver applications, alleging them to be operating with an expired business license.

Information was gathered from the Land Public Transport Agency (APAD) that had raised suspicions. JPJ ended up seizing several computers, promotional material, and other pieces of equipment to conduct further investigation.

E-hailing company inDriver operating with expired license

Those suspicions of an expired business license were apparently proven correct, as stated in a statement released by the JPJ’s director-general Datuk Zailani Hashim, which found them in potential violation of Section 222 and Section 12A of the Akta Penangkutan Awam Darat (APAD) 2010.

Should they be found guilty, the company (more likely its local representatives) could be facing a fine of not more than RM500,000 or a jail sentence of not more than 3 years or both.

JPJ said they will be closely monitoring the activities of E-Hailing Operators (EHO) to ensure they and the vehicles used are conforming to the rules and laws under the Road Transport Act 1987, Commercial Vehicles Licensing Board Act 1987, and APAD 2010.

Founded in Russia in 2013 but presently headquartered in California, inDriver’s ride-sharing service has now spread to some 45 countries and counting, mostly concentrating in Eastern Europe, South America, and Africa. However, more recently they have been embarking on a Southeast Asian push with operations starting in Indonesia, Thailand, and Vietnam.

According to them, they had been offering e-hailing services in the country since October 2021 in several major cities in Malaysia such as Penang, Alor Setar, Kuantan, Johor Bahru, and Kota Kinabalu.