PETALING JAYA: Driving schools welcomed the move to introduce lessons for automatic transmission cars which will be implemented in May.
Malaysian Driving Institute Association president Mat Aris Bakar said it was a good move as there are more automatic transmission cars now.
“We are waiting for the announcement from the government,” said Mat Aris, who is also the managing director of Metro Driving Academy.
Mat Aris said driving schools will likely introduce automatic transmission cars at their schools in stages as it would involve a lot of cost to purchase them.
“Driving lessons for automatic cars will be more expensive than manual cars as their price and maintenance costs are higher,” he said.
The association has 130 members nationwide.
Deputy Transport Minister Datuk Abdul Rahim Bakri told Bernama that the automatic transmission driving licence will be implemented nationwide in May, when the new revised driving curriculum is expected to be in place.
Those who learn and take tests in automatic cars will be issued an automatic transmission driving licence and will not be allowed to drive manual cars.
However, those holding the manual transmission driving licence can drive automatic transmission cars.
The revised driving curriculum will introduce more safety driving elements and was mooted to produce more disciplined and ethical drivers.