KUALA LUMPUR: The temporary suspension of the Smart Selangor bus service along five routes under the Subang Jaya City Council was not due to delays in processing the relevant applications, according to the Land Public Transport Agency (Apad).
Instead, Apad said it was due to the late submission of applications by the operator, SKS Coachbuilders Sdn Bhd.
In a statement, the agency said its investigation found that the company only submitted the relevant applications on April 25 and 26.
Apad confirmed receiving five applications, all of which were processed under standard operating procedures, assessment criteria and approval conditions.
They were then tabled at the Licensing Committee Meeting (eJKP) on May 8, receiving conditional approval.
“Apad stresses that the new permit applications were processed within 14 working days, in line with the agency’s client charter.
“However, the applicant failed to meet several key requirements, including compliance with GPS installation standards and the submission of valid approval offer letters.
“As a result, conditional approval was granted, pending full compliance,” it said, Bernama reported.
Apad confirmed that SKS Coachbuilders fulfilled all required criteria and conditions by May 15.
The company received full approval at the eJKP meeting on May 22, following which they were authorised to begin printing the approval offer letters via Apad’s iSPKP system from May 23.
Residents and commuters in Subang Jaya were left inconvenienced by the sudden suspension of services on routes SJ01, SJ02, SJ03, SJ04 and SJ05, forcing many to seek alternative transport options and incurring additional costs.
Claims had surfaced alleging that the disruption was due to delays by Apad in processing the operator’s application, which reportedly took nearly two months.
However, Apad clarified that the delay was due to the late submission and non-compliance with key requirements by the operator.
Apad added that it remains committed to delivering fair and transparent licensing services.
“Therefore, all public and freight transport operators are reminded to strictly comply with the established criteria and conditions.
“Adherence is essential not only to safeguard their operations but also to prevent disruptions that adversely affect commuters who rely on these services daily,” the agency said.
