AirAsia Ride brings government and industry together to champion driver welfare
Quarterly Driver Open Day connects driver-partners with government agencies, industry partners and practical support to help them thrive
Photo caption (L–R): Ong Chee Wooi, Director of Sales, Proton Edar Sdn Bhd; YBhg. Dato’ Mohamed Irwan bin Mansor, Setiausaha Bahagian, Bahagian Darat, Kementerian Pengangkutan Malaysia; Subashini Silvadas, Deputy CEO, AirAsia Next; YBhg. Dato’ Seri Jana Santhiran Muniayan, Ketua Setiausaha, Kementerian Pengangkutan Malaysia; Kamarul Ariffin Abdul Samad, CEO, Cyberview Sdn Bhd; Ahmad Radhi Maarof, Ketua Pengarah, Agensi Pengangkutan Awam Darat (APAD); YBhg. Puan Masita binti Mat Isa, Timbalan Ketua Pengarah (Operasi), Agensi Pengangkutan Awam Darat (APAD); Lalitha Sivanaser, General Manager, AirAsia Ride; and Nathan Mathivanan, President, Land Public Transport Transformation Association (TPAD), at the AirAsia Ride Driver Open Day.
KUALA LUMPUR, 2 October – AirAsia Ride hosted its quarterly Driver Open Day on Thursday at RekaScape, Cyberjaya, a Cyberview project and business community hub. The Driver Open Day is a cornerstone of AirAsia Ride’s commitment to advancing driver welfare, providing a platform for open dialogue and fostering a transparent, inclusive and sustainable e-hailing ecosystem in the country.
This round, AirAsia Ride’s Driver Open Day is supported by the Ministry of Transport and the driver association Persatuan Transformasi Pengangkutan Awam Darat (TPAD), along with other government agencies such as the Land Public Transport Agency (APAD), PERKESO and EPF. Commercial partners such as Tune Protect, JustGo, U Mobile, HeyDoc Health and MADCash were also present, enabling all of the driver-partners of AirAsia Ride to have direct access to information, services and support from all the key stakeholders who are part of the e-hailing ecosystem.
Lalitha Sivanaser, General Manager of AirAsia Ride, said, "At AirAsia Ride, our drivers are the heart of everything we do. Their success and well-being are our priority because when our drivers thrive, so do we. We'd like to thank YBhg. Dato' Seri Jana Santhiran Muniayan, Secretary General of the Ministry of Transport and TPAD for hosting this Open Day together with us, as well as all the government agencies and industry partners who came together to support our driver community. By working together, we're making it easier for our driver-partners to operate with confidence, focus on what they do best, and build a better livelihood for themselves and their families.”
YBhg. Dato' Seri Jana Santhiran Muniayan, Secretary General of the Ministry of Transport, said, “Our e-hailing drivers are an important part of Malaysia’s transport ecosystem. The Government recognises their contribution and remains committed to working with industry players to ensure a safe, reliable and sustainable e-hailing service, while creating better opportunities and income for our drivers.”
Working closely with TPAD, AirAsia Ride continues to strengthen feedback and dispute resolution channels, ensuring driver-partners have a seat at the table on matters affecting the platform and wider e-hailing industry. TPAD also recognised AirAsia Ride’s commitment to driver welfare, with the platform meeting almost 100% of the association’s guidelines for gig workers.
Beyond meaningful conversations, driver-partners also had access to a range of practical support, services and exclusive benefits to strengthen their welfare, financial security and long-term livelihoods, including:
Tune Protect – Specialised affordable motor & e-hailing insurance solutions.
EPF – Retirement planning guidance, including information on the i-Saraan programme.
MADCash – Committed to providing RM1,800 in financial assistance for the first 100 new female driver-partners, to cover e-hailing insurance, PSV training, medical check-ups and dashcams.
Proton – Opportunities under the Teksi MADANI programme, including vehicle subsidies & feature upgrades, ownership and financial assistance.
HeyDoc – Telemedicine Healthcare solutions for driver-partners to increase productivity by avoiding long hospital queues.
U Mobile – Affordable and customised e-hailing mobile connectivity solutions to support drivers on the road.
JustGo – Cashless and seamless highway toll payment services and support.
AirAsia Ride and AirAsia Next - Priority access to driving, digital and car-wrapping advertising incentives, with opportunities to earn up to RM1,800 per month.
Marking its fifth anniversary, AirAsia Ride remains committed to building one of the most driver-centric e-hailing platforms in Malaysia by working closely with government agencies, industry partners and the driver community to create better opportunities for everyone.
To celebrate the milestone, AirAsia Ride is offering rides from just RM1 across Klang Valley and Cyberjaya from 17 September to 17 October 2026, making everyday travel even more affordable for guests while supporting more earning opportunities for driver-partners.
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