RM1,000 one-off aid to be paid from tomorrow, says Loke

Taxi, hire car and school bus drivers will receive a one-off RM1,000 financial assistance from tomorrow, with payments to be made in stages.

Transport Minister Anthony Loke said yesterday the aid would benefit about 38,000 taxi and hire car drivers and 15,000 school bus drivers.

The first group of recipients will collect their vouchers at the Transport Ministry tomorrow.

Loke said the early disbursement was intended to ensure Hindu drivers received the assistance before Deepavali, in line with the prime minister's wishes.

"The assistance can be paid before the 2027 Budget is approved because the funds come from the RM91 million generated through the sale of the special 'H' vehicle registration number series," he told a press conference here.

On a separate matter, Loke said amendments to the Road Transport Act to ensure victims of accidents involving drivers who were under the influence of alcohol or drugs receive compensation were expected to be tabled in Parliament next year.

He said the cabinet had agreed in principle to the policy paper, with the ministry working with the Attorney-General's Chambers to draft the amendments.

"We are targeting the first parliamentary sitting next year to table the amendments. The work is in progress."

The proposed changes would allow courts to award compensation to victims as part of criminal proceedings against offenders, sparing them from having to file civil suits.

Loke said the current process could be costly and take years, leaving some victims without the means to pursue compensation.

"What we are doing now is combining the two systems into one, so that when a case is brought to court, the judge can also award compensation to the victims," he added.