Expert urges hiring foreign bus drivers amid shortage

New Straits Times

a day ago

KUALA LUMPUR: A road safety expert has urged the government to bring in foreign workers as bus drivers to tackle a worsening manpower crisis in the public transport sector.
Associate Professor Dr Law Teik Hua, head of Universiti Putra Malaysia's Road Safety Research Centre, said the measure may be necessary as such jobs no longer appeal to young locals.
Teik Hua said a mechanism could be introduced whereby foreign workers are required to undergo training for at least six months before being allowed to work as bus drivers.
He also proposed a model similar to Singapore's, where foreigners are hired to fill such roles.
"Opening up the sector to foreign workers is one of three proposals we are putting forward, alongside the establishment of a dedicated academy to train bus drivers and efforts to rebrand the profession to make it appear more professional," he said.
"We are seeing a labour shortage in the country's bus driving sector," he said.
Some bus operators in the country have reportedly allowed drivers to work up to 28 days a month due to a severe shortage of manpower in the sector.
This practice often results in result in drivers — especially those transporting passengers — not getting sufficient rest. The situation poses a serious threat to road users, as it may cause drivers to doze off or speed to complete their routes on time.
The transport industry, along with the behaviour and working conditions of drivers, has come under public scrutiny following the tragic death of more than a dozen students in a crash that shocked the nation.
On June 9, 15 students were killed in a tragic bus accident along the East-West Highway in Gerik, Perak, after the coach rear-ended a car, flipped onto its left side, and crashed into the metal guardrail.