BUTTERWORTH: A factory bus driver tried to escape for about 5km to avoid being stopped by Road Transport Department (JPJ) officers during a special operation on factory buses along the Tun Dr Lim Chong Eu Expressway near the Batu Maung industrial area in Bayan Lepas.
JPJ personnel chased the bus for about 10 minutes before managing to stop it at Batu Maung.
It was understood that the 39-year-old driver had just dropped off workers, and was on his way back to the depot when the incident happened early yesterday.
Penang JPJ director Zulkifly Ismail said checks found that the driver did not have a public service vehicle (PSV) licence, and neither did the bus have a valid road tax or insurance.
“The driver claimed his employer told him not to stop, so he decided to flee. Fortunately, there were no passengers on board at the time,” he told a press conference attended by Bernama at the Penang JPJ headquarters in Seberang Jaya here yesterday.
Zulkifly said the driver also had 10 outstanding summonses for similar offences, including driving without a PSV licence, insurance and road tax.
He added that the operation, which began at 5am, also found several bus operators hiring foreign nationals as factory bus drivers – an offence under the Land Public Transport Act 2010.
