EXISTING Class E driving licences, namely E, E1 and E2, will be merged into one Class E licence effective March 1, said the transport minister.

Wee Ka Siong said the move will simplify matters and save time, as well as open up wider employment opportunities for commercial vehicle drivers, especially in a post-Covid-19 world.

“They can drive all classes of heavy vehicles (by having the new Class E licence), and are not limited to a certain category of weight without load (BTM) heavy vehicles.”

The E licence involves a motor vehicle with a BTM exceeding 7,500kg, E1 not exceeding 7,500kg and E2 not exceeding 5,000kg.

Of about 90,000 E1 and E2 licence holders, only about 62,000 are active, of which only 11,000 have the vocational licence.

As such, existing E1 and E2 licence holders will be asked to undergo a transition programme to obtain the E licence, said Wee.

Applications start from March 1, and those involved are given five years to go through the programme.

The programme will also be offered to Classes E1 and E2 vocational licence holders who want to get the Class E vocational licence.

“This is important to ensure the level of competence and safety of the drivers involved,” said Wee. – Bernama, February 27, 2022.