Kuala lumpur: The Road Transport Department (JPJ) is detailing additional measures to be taken against the express bus operator involved in last month’s accident, which claimed the lives of 15 Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris (UPSI) students. Its director-general Datuk Aedy Fadly Ramli said this follows the initial report of the Special Task Force on the tragedy, which was released by the Transport Ministry yesterday.
According to BERNAMA News Agency, JPJ is finalizing details and has already acted with the Land Public Transport Commission (SPAD) by revoking the bus company’s permit. Aedy Fadly mentioned that several more measures are expected. Meanwhile, legal action against the bus driver is being handled by the court, with JPJ not interfering at this stage. He emphasized that if a fatal accident involves a driver, the police (PDRM) and the court will take action.
Aedy Fadly highlighted the need for a comprehensive approach to address the issues identified in the initial report. This involves actions not only by JPJ or the Royal Malaysia Police (PDRM) but also by other relevant agencies to enhance the road safety system in the country. The initial findings indicated that the bus was traveling at twice the permitted speed limit, which was one of the causes of the accident. The report also pointed out systemic weaknesses in industry governance, regulatory compliance, and enforcement effectiveness.
On June 9, a tragic accident involving a bus carrying 42 UPSI students occurred while traveling from Jertih, Terengganu, to Tanjung Malim, Perak, along the East-West Highway (JRTB) near Tasik Banding in Gerik, resulting in 15 fatalities. In response, Aedy Fadly noted that since July 1, JPJ has issued 1,274 compound notices under a special operation on seat belts against drivers and passengers of express buses, tour buses, and goods vehicles.
He reported that 1,000 notices were issued to passengers for not wearing seat belts, 262 to drivers for the same offense, and 12 to express buses that failed to install seat belts. For passengers, 878 notices were issued to express bus passengers, 107 to tour bus passengers, and 15 to passengers or drivers of goods vehicles. For drivers, 33 notices were issued to express bus drivers, 24 to tour bus drivers, and 205 to goods vehicle drivers.