SIBU: Authorities will ensure that buses plying the state are not overloaded with passengers during festive seasons, including the upcoming Gawai celebrations, says Sarawak Commercial Vehicle Licensing Board (CVLB) chairman Michael Kong.
"Rest assured, the number of passengers on buses will not exceed the number of seats," he said at the Road Safety Advocacy Programme in conjunction with Hari Gawai 2024 at the Sibu Bus Terminal on Thursday (May 23) night.
However, he noted that in some cases, empty seats are used to transport goods instead of being occupied by passengers.
"There are instances where there are fewer passengers and the empty seats are used to transport goods. Therefore, we at CVLB are addressing this issue because we understand the public's concerns since seats are intended for passengers.
“The Road Transport Department (JPJ) has fixed a maximum load that buses are permitted to transport. Overloading a bus with goods beyond its specified weight capacity poses a safety risk. So, CVLB is now conducting a comprehensive review; we are revisiting all our policies and data," he added.
Kong said they are also trying to streamline policies with Sabah CVLB to find ways to limit the weight on express buses.
"According to Sarawak JPJ director Norizan Jili, as a safety measure, JPJ also deploys undercover officers to sit on the buses to check compliance with the rules and regulations," he added.
