KUALA LUMPUR: More than 133,000 summonses were issued to foreign drivers in the first eight months of this year, including over 21,000 cases involving motorists driving without a valid Competent Driving Licence (CDL).
Transport Minister Anthony Loke said a total of 133,081 summonses were issued between January and August, with 21,232 cases involving foreign drivers without a CDL.
Another 1,933 cases, he said, involved drivers operating goods vehicles without a Goods Driving Licence (GDL), while 85 cases were recorded for driving without a Public Service Vehicle (PSV) licence.
"Other offences included expired motor vehicle licences, driving without insurance coverage, failure to obtain an International Circulation Permit (ICP) and overloading offences," he said.
Loke said the Transport Ministry was stepping up enforcement efforts to prevent repeat offences, with particular attention given to drivers, vehicle owners and employers.
"To ensure that the same offences do not recur, continuous enforcement measures and integrated operations are being carried out, including inspections of drivers' and vehicles' documents," he said in a written parliamentary reply on Thursday (Nov 5).
He was responding to Dr Siti Mastura Muhammad (PN-Kepala Batas), who sought details on the number of offences recorded involving foreign drivers and the follow-up measures taken to prevent similar violations.
Loke said enforcement efforts also involved cooperation between the Road Transport Department (JPJ), Immigration Department and police, particularly in cases involving immigration status or other offences.
He stressed that vehicle owners and employers were equally responsible for ensuring that those operating their vehicles were legally qualified to do so.
"The ministry emphasises the responsibility of vehicle owners and employers to ensure that only individuals holding valid driving licences are permitted to drive on public roads," he said.
Loke added that enforcement operations would continue to focus on locations and sectors identified as having a higher risk of road transport violations.
"Accordingly, JPJ will continue to intensify targeted operations at high-risk locations and sectors.
"This is to improve compliance with the law among drivers, vehicle owners and employers, including those involving foreign nationals," he said.
The enforcement approach, he said, would continue to combine document inspections, targeted operations and inter-agency cooperation to address offences involving foreign drivers and the vehicles they operate.
