Friday, January 8, 2016

Gov’t mulling age limit for commercial vehicle drivers


In Local News / By Gerard Lye / 8 January 2016 5:30 pm /
The government may be required to enforce an age limit for drivers that operate commercial vehicles. This comes in light of a recent decision by insurance companies to no longer provide coverage for commercial vehicle drivers over the age of 65.
According to The Sun, Deputy Transport minister Datuk Aziz Kaprawi indicated that the Road Transport Department (JPJ) may have to review the issuance of the Goods Drivers Licence (GDL) and Public Service Vehicle (PSV) licence to elderly drivers.
“It looks like we have to synchronise the regulation for commercial vehicle drivers due to the latest policy by the insurance industry,” he said. However, Aziz stated that the Transport Ministry will meet with Bank Negara Malaysia and various insurance players to come to a consensus on the issue, with the aim of extending the age coverage for commercial vehicle drivers.
Warranty W.4CV, which deals with the age limits for drivers of commercial vehicles outlined by Malaysian Motor Insurance Pool (MMIP), says that “only drivers whose age is between 21 and 65 years on the driver’s last birthday shall be permitted to drive the insured vehicle.” It is yet unknown when the policy came into effect, but it is believed that insurance companies have been applying it since 2014.
Established in 1992, and is a special-purpose entity set up and owned collectively by all general insurance companies operating in Malaysia. Its primary aim is to provide motor insurance coverage to vehicles which may be considered ‘high risk’ and which will not be underwritten by any single insurance company.
The Sun said the issue came to prominence when a 73-year-old lorry driver, Liew Kon Yew, discovered he was not covered under the company’s insurance policy after getting involved in a road accident in Kajang with an MPV two years ago. An experienced driver, Liew has had clean records of more than 40 years driving many different types of lorries.
Malaysia Heavy Construction Equipment Owners Association commercial affairs officer Lam Kok Wai chimed in on the issue, stating that industry players were caught by surprise with the policy. “We admit that we didn’t read all the clauses in the insurance policy as drivers above 65 had been getting coverage,” he said.
Mr Liew passed the medical test every year as he was deemed to be in good health with excellent physical attributes. So it is puzzling that the MMIP is getting ahead of the government,” said Lam, who added that the real yardstick of able and healthy drivers is the annual renewal of GDL with RTD.
Meanwhile, Kuala Lumpur and Selangor Lorry Association general-secretary Alvin Choong said the MMIP’s decision to renounce liability when it comes to elderly commercial vehicle drivers is setting a bad precedent.
He deliberated that “to perceive that elderly drivers cognitive skill as weak is the responsibilities of the government. In doing so, driver over age 65 should not be able to renew their GDL, right?” He also suggested that the next best solution is to impose a slight surcharge on insurance premiums.
Malaysian School Bus Association Alliance president Mohd Rofiq Mohd Yusof also urged the authorities to put into consideration the livelihoods of nearly 10,000 drivers across the industry (taxi, lorry and bus operators). He said that many of them above 65 are government retirees and the operators of school buses and taxis. “They are safe and careful drivers. Why single them out? We are talking about their livelihood.”
Should commercial vehicle drivers over 65 years of age be denied insurance coverage? Or should they not be allowed to operate commercial vehicles altogether? What are your thoughts on the matter?