KUALA TERENGGANU: The Terengganu Road Transport Department has uncovered a worrying trend of commercial vehicle operators hiring underage drivers.
State director Mohd Zamri Samion confirmed the arrest of a 16-year-old boy for driving a commercial vehicle without a licence during a special operation on Jalan Tok Adis-Cendering.
He stated that both the driver and the lorry attendant were confirmed to be underage.
The lorry was transporting coconut shells from Kuala Terengganu to Marang at the time of the interception.
Mohd Zamri believes the vehicle owner hired an underage driver specifically to reduce operational costs.
He emphasised that this practice is highly dangerous and poses a serious risk to the driver and other road users.
Authorities issued a summons and impounded the vehicle as a result of the offence.
Separately, Mohd Zamri reported that action was taken against 603 public service vehicles and goods vehicles during a special commercial vehicle operation between 1 September and 24 September.
This enforcement action followed inspections of a total of 5,315 vehicles, which included express buses, tour buses, lorries, hire cars, and e-hailing vehicles.
Common violations detected included expired public service vehicle driving licences, overloading of goods, and expired insurance coverage.
Other offences involved failure to obey traffic lights and the use of expired Goods Driving Licences.
A total of 11 vehicles were impounded by the department during the operation period.
Furthermore, 144 vehicles were ordered to undergo weighing, and 12 others were issued with various other notices.
The Terengganu RTD has committed to intensifying operations targeting commercial vehicles to ensure full regulatory compliance.
This ongoing enforcement aims to reduce accident and fatality rates on the state’s roads. – Bernama
