The Vaccination Programme for Economic Frontliners in the Transport Sector continues with the opening of the latest Industry Vaccination Centre (PPVIN) at KL Sentral Station, Kuala Lumpur today.

I made a visit to the new PPVIN for the land transport sector which is being organised by Keretapi Tanah Melayu Berhad (KTMB). The PPVIN facility space at the KLIA Ekspres Arrival Hall, KL Sentral is provided by Express Rail Link Sdn Bhd (ERL).

This programme has been approved by the COVID-19 Immunisation Task Force (CITF) on19th July 2021 and it is a joint initiative by the Ministry of Transport (MOT) together with the Ministry of Science, Technology, and Innovation (MOSTI) and Ministry of Health (KKM).

The KL Sentral PPVIN will benefit 1,451 employees of KTMB including its subsidiaries, Multimodal Freight Sdn Bhd and KTM Distribution as well as 390 employees of ERL and ERL Maintenance Support Sdn Bhd starting today 26th July 2021. They are largely frontline staff who have yet to receive their first vaccine dose. The KTMB staff who would be vaccinated at this PPVIN are those stationed along its corridor from Tanjung Malim to Gemas. KTMB will be transporting their staff from the other stations on a special charter train to KL Sentral.

A total of 40 KTMB and ERL employees will also work as volunteers to assist with crowd and queue control, logistics and registration. KTMB plans to set up more PPVIN facilities at other strategic locations to benefit their staff in the Northern and Southern Regions as well as the East Coast.

The opening of these PPVIN is part of larger efforts to expedite delivery of vaccines to the transport sector, which is an essential service during the Movement Control Order period and the National Recovery Programme, to ensure that the movement of people and goods, and daily lives of people are not hindered.

As at 25th July 2021, four (4) PPVIN for the transport sector have started operating to support the National COVID-19 Immunisation Programme (PICK). The first PPVIN at Port Klang for the maritime sector and the second PPVIN at KLIA for the aviation transport sector have benefited a total of 32,243 recipients. Two (2) more facilities for the land public transport sector were opened last week, at the Putra Heights LRT Station and Cheras Selatan Rapid Bus Complex on 19th and 21st July 2021 respectively, involving 5,512 rail and bus service employees.

MOT had submitted a list of 129,267 names from the taxi/e-hailing category and 73,394 p-hailing riders’ names for vaccination. Based on the existing data as at 24th July 2021, some 67% taxi/e-hailing drivers have received their vaccination/appointments, and 56.4% for p-hailing riders.

The Ministry is also in the process of obtaining approvals to open additional PPVIN for the transport sector in Johor, Penang, Pahang, Terengganu, Perak, and Selangor, as well as additional doses for Port Klang to expedite vaccinations for seafarers, port workers, and logistics sector employees. This initiative is estimated to benefit more than 54,000 transport sector workers.

MOT remains committed to working with the CITF in making the PICK a success by ensuring the transport industry workers receive their vaccines as soon as possible.

DATUK SERI IR. DR. WEE KA SIONG
MINISTER OF TRANSPORT MALAYSIA
26 JULY 2021