Putrajaya’s RM4,000 rebate for BR1M recipients interested in buying a car to be a Uber driver, is unprecedented, says Uber official.
PETALING JAYA: The move by the government to give a rebate for the purchase of a new car specifically to become a driver for ride-sharing services, is the first of its kind in the world.
This was one of the surprise “packages” in the Budget 2017 presented by Prime Minister Najib Razak in Parliament today.
Najib announced that anyone who qualifies for the BR1M cash aid, will also be given the opportunity to buy a new car with a RM4,000 rebate for the express purpose of becoming a driver for ride-sharing services.
However, the exact statement made by Najib, as finance minister, seems to specify that the BR1M recipient must use the cash aid given towards a downpayment for the new car, which is also limited only to the Proton Iriz model.
The prime minister had also mentioned Uber in his speech, so it is not known if the same benefits applied for those BR1M recipients who wished to drive for Grab, which is the other ride-sharing service available in the country currently.