KUALA TERENGGANU: The Road Transport Department (JPJ) took action against 44 tour buses for various offences since January to May this year.

Terengganu JPJ director Mohd Zamri Samion said a total of 1,349 public transport vehicles in the state were inspected by its officers and personnel.

“In comparison, we inspected 1,680 public transport vehicles and taken action against 79 vehicles in 2023,” he told reporters after officiating the Terengganu JPJ level Tourism and Public Transport (Tour and Express Buses) joint special operation at the parking lot of the Floating Mosque in Kuala Ibai near here today.

He said that the most common offences committed both this year and last year were expired Puspakom certification, uninsured vehicles and technical offences such as expired fire extinguishers, lack of first aid kits and installation of dangerous accessories.

On today’s special operations, he shared that 11 public transport vehicles, especially tour buses, were inspected and four summonses issued for offences such as not having a second driver (two cases), the lack of a tour guide (one case) and misuse of tourism permit (one case).

Also, a bus having a school bus permit was found to have been ferrying a group of relatives from Kedah for a family gathering in Terengganu, he added.

“By rights, (the school bus) can only operate within 30 kilometres and the condition is that they ferry school students. What we found today was a bus carrying a large family on a journey from Kedah to Terengganu. The vehicle is at risk as its capacity is only as a school bus,” he said, adding that action will be taken against the bus company.

The joint special operation is being conducted by the Terengganu JPJ, the Royal Malaysian Police Traffic Investigation and Enforcement Department, the National Anti-Drug Agency and the Tourism, Arts and Culture Ministry.