This article first appeared in The Edge Financial Daily on October 25, 2017

KUALA LUMPUR: Ride-hailing firm Grab is calling for the government to offer subsidies for trips to and from designated transit stations and public amenities, including trips to government hospitals, sports hubs, libraries and Urban Transformation Centre venues in Budget 2018, to be announced on Friday.

“This will help increase mobility and support public transportation with first mile and last mile gaps, especially in underserved populations. Eventually, together with the government, we aim to provide a seamless transit network, where our drivers are part of the public transportation system,” Grab Malaysia country head Sean Goh said in a statement yesterday.

It also hopes to see concessions that is excise duty rebates for Malaysian-made cars used in service of the Malaysian public through services such as Grab.

“Access to more affordable vehicles will allow Malaysians to consider driving for [companies providing] ride-hailing services to supplement their income, while boosting our local manufacturing industry and support for the national automakers,” he said.

“This would be of help to the Malaysian economy in general, and the sharing economy in particular. It would also help ride-hailing players to continue contributing to Malaysia’s growth story with jobs [provided] and accessibility.”

Grab is hoping the government would continue to bring about a level-playing field among players in the ride-sharing industry as well.