JERANTUT: The Transport Ministry has warned that strict action, including licence revocation, will be taken against any express bus company that deliberately increases ticket prices for economy-class buses ahead of the Aidilfitri festive season.
Minister Anthony Loke said the ministry had received complaints from the public regarding fare hikes imposed by express bus operators, particularly for routes from the capital to the East Coast.
"I have instructed the Land Public Transport Agency (Apad) to investigate the companies involved in these fare hikes. There are two categories of bus services, economy and executive. For economy-class buses, fares are regulated and cannot be raised arbitrarily.
"The other category is executive buses, which offer additional services, and their ticket prices are not regulated. However, even for executive buses, if the price increase is excessive, we will take action.
"So, we need to investigate first to determine the category of these fare hikes," he said after the Helmet Exchange Programme at Jerantut District Council hall here on Tuesday (March 18).
Loke said express bus operators are only permitted to impose a 10% surcharge during festive seasons.
On March 22 last year, he announced that a 10% surcharge on express bus fares during festive periods was allowed, considering factors such as increased service capacity and bus rental costs.
However, he noted that this surcharge was not a new policy and had been in place for the past 20 years, applying from one week before to one week after major celebrations.
Meanwhile, when asked about integrated enforcement operations for Aidilfitri, he said they would be conducted nationwide from March 24 to April 8 to monitor, detect and take action against road users who violate traffic laws.
"We have identified hotspot areas, with 36 locations in Pahang alone. We will deploy Road Transport Department (JPJ) officers to these hotspots," he said.
On the helmet exchange programme, Loke said similar initiatives would be continued in the future to raise awareness among motorcyclists and pillion riders about the importance of wearing helmets that meet safety standards.
"Today, the ministry and JPJ distributed 500 helmets to Jerantut residents as part of the effort to improve road safety. From my observation, most of the helmets brought to be exchanged were no longer suitable for use.
"If a helmet is in poor condition, it is no longer safe as it cannot fully protect motorcyclists and their pillion riders. That is why it is crucial to wear a good-quality helmet, and we hope this programme will help increase awareness on this matter," he said. – Bernama
