Gerik bus crash: Company failed to comply with safety criteria, says Loke

New Straits Times

2 days ago

GERIK: The operator of the bus involved in the fatal crash here which saw 15 university students lose their lives failed to comply with all seven mandatory safety audit criteria under the Safety Audit and Inspection Report (JISA).
Transport Minister Anthony Loke revealed that a comprehensive JISA conducted by the Road Transport Department (RTD) found the operator had neglected critical safety protocols.
Three of the criteria are appointment of a safety officer; speed monitoring via GPS; and, adherence to the maximum eight-hour driving limit.
The others are 30-minute rest breaks for every four hours of driving; GPS installation in all vehicles; an Emergency Response Plan; and, a company hotline for customer complaints.
"These are the seven basic mandatory requirements in a JISA audit, and the company failed.
"The JISA audit is carried out by the RTD on a periodic basis for transport operators. But of course, we can't audit every operator... we do it randomly, not comprehensively," Loke told reporters outside the district police headquarters.
The bus involved in the crash had been towed to the district police headquarters.
Loke said, according to standard operating procedures, whenever there is a road crash, whether fatal or not, an audit will be conducted.
"If a company is found to be non-compliant during an audit, we will suspend their operations," he said.
Loke also said he has instructed the RTD to launch a large-scale JISA audit across all public transport operators, including buses, lorries, and others.
"I want to remind all operators that they have a responsibility. They shouldn't wait for the RTD to conduct an audit. They are responsible for complying with vehicle permit conditions, which are clearly outlined.
"These are not new requirements. They know the rules, but compliance is very poor. So this is a warning to all transport operators, you'd better buck up and start complying.
"Conduct your own internal audits before RTD steps in, because the department will launch a major audit operation.
"Let me be clear... this isn't just a reactive response to this accident," he said, adding that JISA audits have always been conducted on a continuous basis.
When asked when the large-scale audit would start, he said it was already ongoing.
"Previously, we focused on high-risk companies or those involved in any accident not just fatal ones. Even if it's a minor accident or a police report is made, we'll conduct an audit on the company.
"So yes, audits have always been conducted. I don't want anyone saying we didn't do audits before, no, audits were always done. But now we will intensify and expand them," he said.
On Monday, the bus carrying 42 Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris students was travelling from Jertih, Terengganu, to the university's main campus when it skidded and collided with a Perodua Alza at Km53 of the East-West Highway.
Thirteen students died at the scene while two others were pronounced dead in hospital.
The bus driver, his attendant and the other UPSI students, as well as the family of four in the Alza all sustained injuries of varying degrees.