KUALA LUMPUR: The Road Transport Department uncovered an illegal private transport service network using vans and luxury multi-purpose vehicles to target foreign tourists during a special operation.
JPJ Kuala Lumpur director Hamidi Adam stated the operation ran from 10 am to midnight yesterday in high-traffic city areas including Jalan Bukit Bintang, Jalan Imbi, and Jalan Sultan Ismail.
Authorities seized 10 vehicles during the crackdown on the illegal transport services.
“Surprisingly, five of the vehicles were driven by foreign nationals from Bangladesh, Yemen, India, and Sudan, while the remaining vehicles were operated by locals,” Hamidi told reporters.
He confirmed that 35 passengers from various countries including China, Canada, Pakistan, Bangladesh, India, Palestine, and Iraq were using these services for airport transfers or tourist destination travel.
Hamidi revealed some passengers had paid up to RM2,100 for trips from Kuala Lumpur to Melaka covering both accommodation and transportation arranged by travel agents.
Illegal operators employed tactics like waiting near hotels during peak check-out times around noon to target tourists needing transportation.
The JPJ director reminded travel agencies to ensure their tourist transport vehicles comply with regulations including valid Public Service Vehicle operator’s licences.
“JPJ Kuala Lumpur will not tolerate violations of road traffic laws,” Hamidi emphasized.
He pledged continued monitoring and enforcement to ensure road user safety and maintain transportation system integrity.
The seized vehicles violated multiple laws including Motor Vehicle Licence misuse and operating without proper PSV licences.
Drivers and vehicle owners received summonses under Section 80 of the Road Transport Act 1987 and Section 16(1) of the Land Public Transport Act 2010. – Bernama
