Kuala lumpur: The Malaysian Taxi Coalition (GTM) has expressed its appreciation to Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim and the MADANI government for continuing to pay attention to the welfare of taxi drivers under Budget 2026. Its president, Kamarudin Hussain, stated that they appreciated the government's commitment to allocating RM10 million to cover the training fees and allowances for courses aimed at enhancing the quality of services provided by taxi drivers.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, Kamarudin highlighted that the training allocation was one of the proposals presented to the government last year to improve the image and quality of the country's taxi industry. He mentioned that they had proposed a new image that would improve perceptions within the country and address issues like replacing aging and outdated taxis.

Kamarudin noted that one of the key proposals for taxi rebranding included courses focused on enhancing driver quality, customer treatment, and communication skills. Although comprehensive rebranding of taxi services has not yet been fully achieved, the Prime Minister's recent announcement demonstrates the government's commitment to making it a reality.

During the Budget 2026 presentation in Parliament, Anwar also announced that the government will continue the 100 percent excise duty exemption and 100 percent sales tax exemption on the purchase of new national cars-Proton and Perodua-for eligible taxi owners and private hire vehicle drivers.