MoT to develop database for express, tour bus drivers

The transport ministry will develop a database for drivers of express buses and tour buses, including their records, for the safety of public land transportation, reported Bernama.

The system is to be developed by the land public transport agency (APAD), and this would enable bus companies to assess the eligibility of drivers and their backgrounds before hiring them.

“Currently in our system, we do not have a database that covers all this. We only have their licensing details but whether or not they have any previous records, the companies that hire them have no references,” transport minister Anthony Loke said in a media conference following the bus crash in Gerik that killed 15 Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris (UPSI) students and injured 33.

“In the system, perhaps a driver who did not carry out his responsibilities properly and was sacked from company A, he may go to company B… so, drivers lacking integrity are still on the market,” Loke said.

Earlier, the transport minister said that speed limiters will soon be mandatory for heavy vehicles in Malaysia, and that the policy is being thoroughly reviewed to ensure that there are no loopholes or opportunities for manipulation once it is implemented.

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