GEORGE TOWN: The Penang Road Transport Department (JPJ) is cracking down on bus safety, sending officers undercover as passengers to check seat belt use and second-driver compliance.
Its director Zulkifly Ismail said the focus would be on ensuring compliance with the second-driver requirement and seat belt regulations under Rule 4A of the Motor Vehicles (Seat Belts) Rules.
“Enforcement will also include inspections of express buses, drivers and passengers at bus terminals, as well as spot checks at rest and service areas (R&R) and major toll plazas,” he said.
Zulkifly warned bus operators not to take regulations lightly, saying that firm action would be taken against any operator found in breach of the Road Transport Act 1987, the Road Transport Rules and the Land Public Transport Act 2010.
In 2024, there were 479 recorded cases of buses operating without a co-driver, and in 2025, there were 241 cases.
Seat belt offences saw a significant increase, rising from merely five cases in 2024 to 383 cases in 2025. By Jan 31 of this year, 35 cases had already been recorded.
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Northern Zone Bus Operators Association chairman Ahmad Ruslan Abdul Latiff said most of his members have no issues with passenger seatbelt compliance.
As a bus operator himself, since 2013, he said all his buses are equipped with seat belts.
“Drivers or tour guides usually ensure passengers wear them. If they don’t, we issue warnings and inform them they could be fined. Announcements are also made regularly, reminding passengers to buckle up,” he said.
However, he said confusion remains regarding the second-driver requirement.
“We operate tour buses, which are not the same as express buses. Express buses travel long hours, but our operations do not. So why is a second driver required?” he asked.
Peninsular Malaysia Malay Express Bus Operators Association (Pembawa) president Datuk Abu Hassan Awang said express bus operators supported the mandatory use of seat belts, but enforcement must be fair and realistic due to limitations faced by drivers.
“Drivers can remind passengers and make announcements, but there must be a clear distinction between the responsibility of the driver and that of the passenger.
“Bus operators have long told drivers to make seatbelt announcements before departure in line with existing safety guidelines.
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“The authorities should focus enforcement on non-compliant passengers rather than penalise drivers who have already taken reasonable steps,” he added.
Aalzm Lee, an operations manager of a tour bus company, said drivers would remind passengers to comply with compulsory rules and warn that non-compliance could result in fines and compromise safety.
“In our tour bus fleet, on-duty tour guides always remind passengers to buckle up when boarding the bus.
“Failure to obey the rules can result in fines from JPJ if passengers are caught during operations,” he said, adding that the company operates 25 tour buses.
