Johor bahru: The Johor Road Transport Department (JPJ) has issued 2,136 notices from Jan 1 till yesterday (Feb 4) through its planned enforcement initiative on commercial vehicles dubbed "Op Khas, Op Gempur Kenderaan Perdagangan'.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, the department's director, Zulkarnain Yasin, stated that these notices resulted from the inspection of 12,510 vehicles across the state. The most frequent technical offences observed included registration numbers not adhering to specifications, failure to wear seat belts, and the use of unsuitable lights, with 555 cases noted.

Zulkarnain further explained that additional offences comprised lacking a competent driving licence (CDL), absence of a vocational licence, expired road tax, lack of insurance, and transporting dangerous or excessive loads. A total of 1,305 vehicles faced action, out of which 33 were seized. These included 20 goods vehicles exceeding 7,500 kilogrammes (kg), four goods vehicles under 7,500kg, seven employee buses, and two school buses.

He emphasized that the seized vehicles were found to have committed offences deemed risky or unsafe, rendering them unfit for the road. Zulkarnain also highlighted that awareness regarding compliance with road safety regulations among commercial vehicle drivers remains low, with some drivers lacking licences or failing to renew road tax and insurance coverage.

In collaboration with the police and the National Anti-Drugs Agency (AADK), the operation aims to bolster road safety. Additionally, Zulkarnain mentioned that similar operations would be conducted in conjunction with the Chinese New Year and Ramadan to ensure smooth traffic flow and safety, particularly in accident-prone areas.