PETALING JAYA: The Land Public Transport Agency is beefing up enforcement action against errant bus drivers and operators to curb the number of road crashes involving such vehicles, said its director-general Datuk Azlan Shah Al Bakri Shah.
He told the theSun bus operators who fail to comply with regulations to ensure the safety of their vehicles will face serious consequences.
“Considering there have been several serious bus crashes over the past few months, we are beefing up enforcement to ensure bus operators who fail to comply with the Road Transport Act 1987 will have their licences initially suspended for 30 days.
“If they do not change their ways and the violations continue, the operator’s licence will be permanently revoked.”
On June 29, two Chinese nationals lost their lives while 19 others survived after their tour bus allegedly skidded, struck a road divider and landed on its side while descending from Genting Highlands. The Transport Ministry later confirmed that the bus had an expired operating permit.
Azlan Shah said since 2022, there have been up to 60 bus crashes caused by driver negligence and technical problems involving the vehicles as reported by police, that resulted in deaths and severe injuries.
“Bus operators must ensure the well-being of their drivers, including making sure they only drive for a maximum of four hours at a stretch, with a minimum of 30 minutes rest. This ruling ensures that drivers are alert and ready for the next shift.”
He said road crashes could be avoided if bus operators played their role to ensure their vehicles were well maintained and functioning as required before each trip.
Azlan Shah said buses and commercial vehicles must undergo periodic inspections at the Computerised Vehicle Inspection Centre (CVIC) every six months under the law, and failure to do so may cause the operator’s licence to be suspended.
“The government requires the periodic inspection of commercial vehicles, particularly public service vehicles. CVIC officers will ensure they comply with existing laws and standards to help reduce road crashes and save the lives of drivers, passengers and other road users.
“Through the Licence Suspension and Revocation Committee, we will decide on the action to be taken against companies that commit offences and do not comply with the licence terms. This may include the suspension and revocation of the operator or vehicle licence.”
Azlan Shah also said the agency collaborates with other departments and enforcement bodies, including the Road Transport Department, police and the Malaysian Institute of Road Safety Research (Miros) to improve safety-related policies.
However, he said such efforts cannot be successful without the cooperation of bus operators and other stakeholders.
“We have already made it compulsory for all bus operators to instal the Global Positioning System, which must be integrated with our monitoring system.
“In conjunction with this requirement, we are also working to leverage the latest technology to monitor vehicle speed and driver behaviour to help us proactively detect and address issues before they end in tragedy.”
Azlan Shah assured the public that the Transport Ministry, through the agency, is committed to enhancing the safety of land public transport.
He urged the public to offer any feedback and information on safety violations by bus operators by contacting the Transport Ministry at 1-800-88-7723, WhatsApp at 019-290 7723 or by email to aduan@mot.gov.my.
Other complaint channels include the myJPJ app, Public Complaint Management System and email via aduantrafik@jpj.gov.my.
