PUTRAJAYA: The owners of the tour bus company involved in the Genting Highlands crash on Saturday could face a fine of RM500,000 and jail time says Transport Minister Anthony Loke.
Loke said that authorities are considering invoking a rarely-used section of the Road Transport Act as preliminary investigations showed the bus involved in the accident is over 15 years old and its operating permit expired four months ago.
“It is not only the bus driver who did not have a licence; the bus also did not have a permit to operate. We view this very seriously,” Loke told reporters at a press conference on Monday (May 1).
He said that the company holds 15 permits for tour buses and 18 for factory buses.
“The permit for the tour bus involved in the recent accident expired on February 16. This means it was operating without a permit,” he said.
Loke added that the Land Public Transport Agency (Apad) has been directed to investigate the tour bus company concerned.
“We are proposing invoking a rarely-used provision where those found guilty can be fined up to RM500,000, sentenced to two years in jail, or both,” he said.
Under this provision, tour bus drivers are tasked with ensuring the utmost safety of passengers and road users, while the tour bus company must ensure proper maintenance of their vehicles.
Last Saturday (April 29), a tour bus carrying 21 people overturned while descending from Genting Highlands, killing two Chinese tourists.
Initial investigations revealed that the 32-year-old bus driver had 27 previous traffic summonses for various offences and did not have a licence.
Meanwhile, Loke announced that a major crackdown on tour buses will begin at 6am on Tuesday (May 2).
He said joint enforcement operations will be conducted over the next few weeks.
