Recently, the road transport department (JPJ) revealed that it will suspend or revoke the permits of driving schools if many of their former students are found to have committed traffic offences or cause traffic accidents.
According to a report by FMT, the move has attracted criticism, with CT Balan, operations director of Safety Driving Centre, saying JPJ had no right to do so since its officers were the final examiners of the students.
“How can JPJ penalise driving schools when we follow its syllabus? In fact, the examiners for the final exam to judge a driver’s competence and adherence to all road regulations are from JPJ itself,” he said.
Balan added that JPJ and other relevant authorities shouldn’t blame driving schools road accidents and offences, and instead focus on improving enforcement. “Enforcement is very loose and road offenders can easily get away with little to no punishment. The authorities must be stricter and more consistent in enforcing the law,” he commented.
He also suggested introducing a mandatory defensive driving course for all drivers to take after the two-year probationary licence period as a way to address the high number of road accidents and offences. “If drivers are required to go back for a defensive driving course, they could refresh their knowledge on road regulations and leave with more confidence in handling their vehicles and knowledge on road safety,” Balan explained.
Meanwhile, Law Teik Hua, head of Universiti Putra Malaysia’s Road Safety Research Centre, said it would be unfair for driving schools to be penalised by JPJ, and that existing measures to address the issue needed to be better implemented instead.
“We need to think about the Demerit Points System for Traffic Offences (Kejara), which is still around but seems to be ineffective. The tools are there. Why not improve them and make them highly visible to the public?” he questioned.
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Yeah, interesting. MMA sets the approved medical syllabus & examinations, but no one would question them for occasionally pulling back certification of compliance to any medical colleges or unis around the world if their students & faculty no longer follow the guidelines and causes harm to patients.
Examination is just a one off which can easily be passed but the life long lessons of correct practices are learnt from the start at these learning institutions. MMA is constantly vigilant to fake institutions that teaches students to pass exams but cannot save lives.
The same goes for driving schools that teaches their students only to pass JPJ exams but no where near civic mindedness when driving. JPJ is correct to weed out these fake institutions.
Getting a medical degree takes several years but getting a driver’s license takes several months. Also, medical degree holders have already decided to make the medical profession as their career in life, but holders of driving licences come from all walks of life. I don’t think it’s fair to compare a driving school to a medical school.
The moment the licence is granted to the student…even if the student drive like the fast and furious Vin …is up to the courts to dictate if he kills or seriously maim an innocent person.
How can the driving school be faulted? Ridiculous.
Someone ,a VVIP convict (appealing)graduated from St.Johns Institution..are u going to close down that prestigious school? Madness.
The main problem are women drivers…
I’ll believe you if you can out-drift Leona Chin…
simple solution, punish the drivers, the schools as well as the JPJ officials who conduct the test
We must get to the root of the problem. Reward whoever the present drivers are, for naming the Trainer and the Driving School involved who were guilty of receiving bribe-money for the passed Driving Test.