PUTRAJAYA: The RM1,000 financial assistance for taxi, hire-car and school bus drivers is a one-off initiative rather than an annual entitlement, Transport Minister Anthony Loke said today.
He said any similar assistance in the future would depend on the availability of additional government revenue and approval from the Finance Ministry.
“This is a one-off payment. Assistance for taxi drivers has never been something provided every year.
READ MORE: RM1,000 aid for 53,000 taxi, school bus drivers to begin Wednesday, ahead of Deepavali
“Even previously, it depended on the budget. If there was additional revenue and the Finance Minister approved it, then assistance would be given,” he told a press conference after a financial assistance presentation ceremony at the Transport Ministry.
The initiative is expected to benefit about 53,000 drivers nationwide, involving a total allocation of RM53 million.
Of this amount, RM38 million will go to 38,000 taxi and hire-car drivers, while another RM15 million will be distributed among 15,000 school bus drivers.
Loke said the payments would be funded by revenue generated from the sale of special H-series vehicle registration numbers, which brought in RM91 million in September.
He explained that proceeds from auctions of special registration plates were deposited into the government’s Consolidated Revenue Account, with arrangements allowing part of the revenue to be channelled back to the ministry for specific initiatives.
Loke also rejected concerns that the government was distributing the assistance before Parliament approved Budget 2027, saying the payments were funded by revenue already collected rather than next year’s budget.
“This is not using next year’s budget. This is using revenue that we have already collected,” he said.
The ministry aims to complete the disbursement within two to three weeks, with all eligible drivers expected to receive the money before Deepavali.
Drivers will not need to submit applications, as eligibility will be verified using existing government databases.
Those who qualify but are inadvertently omitted from the list can seek assistance through their respective driver associations, Loke added.