There were 134 total summonses issued to bus drivers. The main offenses committed were embarking and disembarking passengers at unauthorised locations (14 cases compared to 16 in 2017), failure to produce permit or document upon inspection (78 cases compared to 92 in 2016) and no ticket uniformity or overcharging (17 cases).
There were 114 cases related to freight drivers. The major types of offences recorded were: safety violation (tyre thread, goods not properly secured) at 98 cases compared to 21 in 2017, failure to produce permit or document upon inspection (eight cases) and taking unauthorised goods (eight cases).
Overall, there was a decrease in the number of offences committed by bus drivers this year, which was 134 in total, compared to the same period last year which was 142 cases. On the other hand, truck drivers saw an increase in offences committed from 45 in 2017 to 114 this year.
"To ensure adequate buses for the festive period, SPAD had also approved Temporary Variation Licence (LPS) applications from 108 bus companies to provide an additional 313 buses," a SPAD spokesman told Asian Trucker on Monday.
With the inclusion of taxis, the exercise saw the inspection of 4 643 vehicles (taxis, buses and trucks) and 292 were found to have flouted the law, with 17 vehicles seized.
According to an earlier report by Bernama, SPAD Senior General Manager (Enforcement Division), Datuk Che Hasni Che Ahmad said besides the aggressive enforcement by all parties involved, the use of technologies such as closed-circuit cameras, Global Positioning System (GPS) and remote cameras were also used to monitor movement and offenses involving public transport.
"I want to remind all public transport drivers especially bus drivers that their movements are constantly monitored so as not to commit offenses, especially speeding or driving dangerously, because they have many lives in their hands at one time.
"We want all these public transport drivers to be cautious with their own safety and of those who they are ferrying," he said.
