KUALA LUMPUR, June 11 — The Transport Ministry (MOT) will develop a database for express and tour bus drivers, complete with their previous records, to improve the safety of public land transportation.
Its minister Anthony Loke said the system, to be developed by the Land Public Transport Agency, would let bus companies assess the eligibility and background of drivers before hiring them.
“In our system, we do not have a database that covers all drivers. We only have their licensing (details), but whether or not they have any previous records, the companies that hire them have no references.
“In the system, perhaps a driver who did not carry out his responsibilities properly and was sacked from company A, he might go to company B… so drivers lacking in integrity are still on the market,” he said.
He said this at today’s joint media conference with Communications Minister Datuk Fahmi Fadzil and Works Minister Datuk Seri Alexander Nanta Linggi on the fatal crash involving Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris (UPSI) students on Monday.
Meanwhile, Higher Education Minister Datuk Seri Zambry Abdul Kadir said the National Higher Education Fund Corporation loans for 13 of the students who died have been settled.
“All 13 of these students will benefit from the full settlement of loan debts through the PTPTN education loan Group Takaful Protection Scheme.
“Additionally, all 13 heirs will also receive a death benefit of RM1,500 for each student,” he said in a Facebook post today.
In the incident, 15 UPSI students were killed when the chartered bus carrying them from Jertih to the main campus in Tanjung Malim, Perak, overturned after it collided with a Perodua Alza along the East-West Highway, while 33 others were injured, including the bus driver and his co-pilot, as well as the driver and three passengers of the Perodua Alza.
Meanwhile, Loke said the preliminary report on the May 13 fatal crash involving Federal Reserve Unit (FRU) personnel in Perak last month will be uploaded to the MOT’s website tomorrow.
He added that the report would also contain several findings from the relevant technical agencies, including the Road Transport Department and the Computerised Vehicle Inspection Centre.
“The reason this report is being made public is to allow the people to understand the case facts and space for researchers, especially road safety experts like mechanical experts, to see all the facts about the crash and be able to conduct studies and research,” he said.
In the May 13 incident, nine FRU personnel from Unit 5, based in Sungai Senam, Ipoh died in the crash on Jalan Chikus-Sungai Lampam at 8.50am when a lorry collided with a truck carrying 18 FRU personnel, who were returning from an assignment in Teluk Intan.
— Bernama
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