[UPDATED] Vocational driving licence: govt drops need to pass theory exams

KUALA LUMPUR – Drivers who want to obtain vocational driving licences (GDL and PSV) will no longer be required to pass the theory examinations, Transport Minister Anthony Loke announced today.

He said the theory component for vocational driving licences will be conducted as online classes while bus and lorry drivers would still need to pass their practical examinations.

“This is being done to improve the vocational licence application procedure which includes the Public Service Vehicle (PSV) and Goods Driving Licence (GDL),” he told a press conference in Putrajaya today.

The theory lessons for vocational licences will be conducted online on platforms provided by the Road Transport Department (RTD), driving institutes, or qualified business companies.

He said applicants will only need to attend and complete their theory classes before they are issued with the licence.

However, Loke said candidates applying for the PSV licence category for buses and GDL for articulated lorries are still required to undergo training and pass the practical test before they can get the licences.

The data and attendance records of the candidates will be integrated into the MySIKAP system to enable vocational licences to be issued directly to candidates without the need for their physical presence at the RTD counters.

Loke said RTD and the Malaysian Institute of Road Safety Research will revise the syllabus used for all vocational licence categories after gathering feedback from the industry.

The improved syllabus will be finalised within six months, he said, adding that this was to ensure that the syllabus remains current and relevant in the future. – The Vibes, April 10, 2023