KOTA BARU: The Transport Ministry will review traffic summons discounts offered to foreign vehicles, including those from Thailand, to ensure that the enforcement approach implemented remains effective.
Minister Anthony Loke said the discounts offered, including for offences such as not having an International Circulation Permit (ICP), were granted at the discretion of the Road Transport Department (JPJ), primarily to encourage settlement of summonses within a specified period.
He said the entry of foreign vehicles is common in states along the Malaysia-Thailand border, and at present, foreign vehicle drivers who commit offences and settle their summonses within the stipulated timeframe are eligible for discounts of up to 50 per cent.
"However, if this approach is found to be not as effective as expected, the ministry will review the mechanism specifically for foreign vehicles.
"We will hold further discussions with JPJ to assess the appropriate improvement measures,” he told reporters after launching the stage bus service transformation programme, BAS.My Kota Baru, here Thursday (Jan 29).
Yesterday, it was reported that more than 1,000 Thai vans are operating at the borders in four states, with each vehicle capable of earning up to RM30,000 a month by transporting passengers.
The vans were said to ferry passengers from southern Thailand to the Klang Valley and as far as Johor, charging between RM70 and RM150 per passenger, most of whom are restaurant workers.
Meanwhile, Loke said stern action will be taken against bus operators, including tour bus companies, that operate without installing speed limitation devices (SLD), in line with the nationwide enforcement of the regulation.
He said full enforcement began after the end of the first-phase on Dec 31 last year, and bus companies that fail to comply will face appropriate action.
"The SLD caps a bus’s maximum speed at 90km per hour, thereby preventing drivers from exceeding the set limit.
"This is an important measure to curb dangerous driving and reduce the risk of fatal accidents involving heavy vehicles,” he said.
Loke said the government is also enhancing monitoring of bus drivers through the development of a driver database by the Land Public Transport Agency (Apad).
He said the system enables operators to check a driver’s traffic offence records and licence status before employment, thereby improving the safety of the country’s public transport operations.
On the installation of telematics systems to monitor bus drivers’ attitudes and behaviour, Loke said it is an effective measure to prevent accidents involving express buses.
He said the installation is currently being implemented on a voluntary basis by bus operators before it is made mandatory in the near future.
"The telematics system includes the use of global positioning system technology and closed-circuit television cameras, including dashboard recordings, to monitor drivers’ conditions while on duty, such as fatigue or lack of focus.
"We want to ensure that bus drivers are continuously monitored to enhance operational safety and reduce the risk of accidents involving express buses,” he said. - Bernama
