PUTRAJAYA – Action will be taken against the operator of the bus involved in a fatal bus accident on a Malaysian expressway over the weekend, said Malaysia’s Transport Minister Anthony Loke.
“We will hold the permit holder accountable. The operating licence can be revoked. There is no excuse. First, we will issue a show-cause letter to the permit holder to explain the incident. The permit may be suspended or revoked,” Mr Loke said at a press conference on Oct 14.
He was responding to a question about the bus accident that killed one and injured 28 others, including five Singaporeans, early on Oct 11.
Super Nice Express has claimed that the bus involved in the crash was operated without authorisation
by its former business partner, Express Senibudaya. Both Super Nice and Express Senibudaya are based in Penang, although Super Nice is registered as a private limited company in Singapore.
The bus in question, which bore the name and logo of Super Nice, crashed into a signpost near the 294km mark on the North-South Expressway at around 3am on Oct 11. A total of 28 people on board – including the driver – were injured in the accident.
A 59-year-old Malaysian man, who worked in the construction sector in Singapore, died after sustaining severe head injuries. Four of the five injured Singaporeans have since been discharged from hospitals in Malaysia, while one remains under treatment at Ng Teng Fong General Hospital in Singapore.
Malaysia’s Land Public Transport Agency (Apad), which is responsible for regulating express buses, is investigating the incident.
“We are investigating and looking into the matter,” Apad director-general Azlan Shah Al Bakri told The Straits Times.
Transport analyst Wan Agyl Wan Hassan said the illegal subcontracting of buses in Malaysia is common due to weak enforcement, regulatory complexity and economic incentives.
“Some operational sharing of (express buses) is inevitable, but subcontracting must be declared, approved and audited,” added Mr Wan Agyl, the founder and chief executive of transport think-tank MY Mobility Vision.
In a statement issued late on Oct 14, Express Senibudaya confirmed that one of its buses was involved in a road accident on Oct 11.
“Our team has been fully focused on assisting the injured passengers, supporting the family members, and cooperating closely with the authorities in the ongoing investigation. We want to ensure that all verified and accurate information was obtained before issuing this statement publicly.”
“Safety remains our utmost priority, and we are conducting a thorough internal review to strengthen our operational and safety procedures,” it added.
The statement did not address Super Nice’s claim that the bus involved in the crash was being operated without authorisation by its former business partner, Express Senibudaya.
Meanwhile, at the press conference on Oct 14, Mr Loke also announced more stringent enforcement of overloaded lorries, which are seen as the main cause of major accidents in the country.
Previously, firms caught operating overloaded vehicles were issued a RM300 (S$92) compound fine – a penalty seen as insufficient to deter such practices.
“We feel it’s ineffective to deter heavy vehicle operators by just issuing a RM300 fine. The profit from an overloaded trip is often far greater than the penalty. Some operators treat the summons as just another operational cost,” he said.
Under the new approach, a compound fine will still be meted out for the first offence. But for a second offence, the vehicle’s permit will be revoked. A third offence will result in the suspension of the company’s entire operating licence.
“If a company has 500 licensed lorries, all will be bungkus (suspended),” Mr Loke warned.
As part of a special safety audit operation run by the Road Transport Department, 54.4 per cent of 500 high-risk transport companies failed to pass the safety assessment carried out between June 23 and July 31.
