H
Han Solo
Guest
Friday January 7, 2011
Officers to board buses as passengers and catch culprits in action
By RACHAEL KAM and RAHIMY RAHIM
[email protected]
SUBANG: Plainclothes Road Transport Department (JPJ) officers will become passengers on express buses to keep tabs on the behaviour of the drivers on the road, said Transport Minister Datuk Seri Kong Cho Ha.
He cautioned bus operators and drivers to buck up or face the consequences, adding that the operation would begin any time now.
“The officers will buy tickets and board express buses randomly as passengers to monitor the driver’s attitude on the journey.
“They will also check whether the bus driver and company commit other offences such as speeding, not having a second or assistant driver, or not having tourist guides,” he said.
Apart from that, Kong said the ministry, which had intensified its operations to inspect express and tour buses, had issued 148 summonses against 73 buses between Dec 31 and Jan 2.
A total of 318 buses were inspected within the period.
A report on the operations will be submitted to the Cabinet in June, Kong said after launching Firefly’s first Boeing 737-800 aircraft here yesterday.
The safety of express buses has been a huge concern following several horrific bus accidents last year, the latest being the Cameron Highlands-Simpang Pulai road crash that claimed 28 lives.
In another development, Kong said Malaysia had achieved a 15% growth in air travel passengers – equivalent to about 52mil passengers – last year compared to 2009.
Kong said the air travel industry would experience faster growth upon completion of the upgrading work for airports in Kuching, Labuan, Kota Kinabalu and Penang.
FlyFirefly Sdn Bhd managing director Datuk Eddy Leong said the Boeing 737-800 would begin its operation from Jan 15 from Kuala Lumpur International Airport to its new routes – Kota Kinabalu and Kuching.
