Tourism bus control: Loke open to shared role

New Straits Times

19 hours ago

SHAH ALAM: Transport Minister Anthony Loke has welcomed the Tourism, Arts and Culture Ministry's latest push to regain control over tourism-related vehicles such as buses, saying he is open to a shared responsibility approach.
"However, my condition is that Road Transport Department (RTD) enforcement personnel cannot be reduced (and moved to the Tourism Ministry) because we are already constrained," Loke said after a briefing on Speed Limitation Devices (SLD) for heavy vehicles at Scania Malaysia's factory in Bukit Jelutong Industrial Park today.
Loke said that the matter had been raised well before the fatal crash in Gerik involving a tour bus, as Tourism, Arts and Culture Minister Datuk Seri Tiong King Sing had expressed his desire for the ministry to regain control over tour busses two years ago.
"If you want to take responsibility, and if you can guarantee the safety of tour buses, I would be more than happy to hand that power back," he said.
However, Loke pointed out that the final decision lies with the Cabinet as there are various implications, including those involving human resources through the Public Services Department.
Last Wednesday, the Tourism, Arts and Culture Ministry called for control over tourism-related vehicles such as buses to be returned to it, citing a loss of confidence in Malaysian road safety among various countries.
The ministry added that parties involved in tourism and student exchange programmes from Asean, the Middle East, China, Japan and South Korea had expressed their concerns following the bus crash in Gerik that claimed the lives of 15 Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris (UPSI) students and left many others injured.