Konsortium Wawasan Klasik Sdn Bhd (KWK) company to monopolise RTD transactions

Sounds like somebody's been 'granted' a monopoly to charge for RTD transactions.

How was this company selected? Was there a tender? Who helms it? Does the company have a good track record? And if the company is newly formed, why give such a large concession to an untested company?

Would it have been better to open up this "business" to a several companies competiting against each other?

Exactly how will this monopoly reduce the rampant corruption in the RTD? Will the company have the freedom to increase prices etc? Will RTD "make life difficult" for people do not use this new "service" and carry out their transactions personally

PETALING JAYA: Motorists will now have an option to carry out road transport transactions through a company endorsed by the Transport Ministry. The company aims to provide a more professional alternative to traditional runners, including charging lower fees that are standardised throughout the country.

Through a tripartite arrangement with the Road Transport Department (RTD) and financial institutions, the company, Konsortium Wawasan Klasik Sdn Bhd (KWK), will act as the agent for the financial institutions in their dealings with the RTD on matters such as:

» registration of new/imported vehicles;
» transfer of ownership of used motor vehicles; and
» road tax renewal.

KWK managing director and chief executive officer Rafi Khan Shahzada, who was a traditional runner 20 years ago, said the company will coordinate all runners and give them a new image as customer service coordinators or Cusco.

He said the company has 150 operators in the country dealing with state RTD offices and branches as well as financial institutions' branches and dealers.

KWK executive chairman Mohd Salahuddin Abdul Rahman, said: "Our system will enable the customers to check the service status through the website (www.erunner.com.my) besides helping to reduce the congestion and waiting time at the RTD offices."

The system will also help the RTD eliminate unethical practices and give the customer coordinators a new professional outlook, he told reporters yesterday.

RTD director-general Datuk Emran Kadir said about 30 million road transport transactions are conducted yearly, which include about 13 million road tax renewals, 10 million licence renewals, 1.2 million transfer of vehicle ownership, 1.02 million new car registrations, and 800,000 driving tests.