Latest news with #Kedah-based
New Straits Times
2 days ago
- New Straits Times
Kulim tour bus company declines comment on Gerik crash that killed 15 UPSI students
KULIM: A tour bus company based in Kulim, whose operating permit had been leased to another operator involved in Monday's fatal crash in Gerik, Perak which claimed the lives of 15 Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris (UPSI) students, has declined to comment on the incident. A representative from the company said it would refrain from making any statements while authorities conduct a full investigation. "We do not wish to comment at this time. Let the authorities carry out a thorough investigation as we do not want to complicate matters. "Furthermore, the incident involved numerous casualties. We wish to respect the families who are grieving the loss of their loved ones. "That is all we have to say for now," the representative told the New Straits Times, declining to elaborate further when contacted today. The Transport Ministry announced that the company's permits were revoked due to multiple breaches of permit conditions. The Transport Ministry announced yesterday that all of the company's permits were revoked due to multiple breaches of permit conditions. Its Minister Anthony Loke had said that the company had committed two serious violations: leasing its permit to a third party and failing to activate the vehicle's GPS tracking system. He revealed that the Kedah-based permit holder had leased the permit to an operator in Kelantan for RM500 per month. In the early hours of Monday, a tour bus carrying 42 UPSI students from Jerteh, Terengganu, to Tanjung Malim, Perak, collided with a Perodua Alza multi-purpose vehicle (MPV) along the East-West Highway (JRTB) near Tasik Banding, Gerik. Fifteen students tragically lost their lives in the crash, with 33 others injured. Meanwhile, checks at the company's registered premises, a double-storey shoplot along Jalan Kilang Lama, revealed that the office remains closed. A worker at a neighbouring unit said the office had been shut for over a year. "The office has been quiet since the Covid-19 pandemic in 2021. "I noticed it was fully closed more than a year ago," said the woman, who requested anonymity. The company's signboard states that it offers bus and van rental services for holidays, worker transportation, tour packages, and hotel bookings. A review of the company's Facebook page showed that it was last updated in September 2024. It is understood that the company currently operates bus services for transporting workers, with two of its buses found parked in a locked open-air lot not far from the premises.
The Star
2 days ago
- The Star
No more hiding bad driving
Safety a priority: Nanta (centre) speaking during the joint press conference with Fahmi and Loke. — IZZRAFIQ ALIAS/The Star KUALA LUMPUR: The days of errant bus drivers are numbered with a database containing their information, including past criminal records, being compiled for the reference of prospective employers. To be developed by the Land Transport Agency, the database will include information on blacklisted drivers as well as the number of traffic offences they have committed. Bus operators will have better insight into their prospective employees with the database being mooted by the Transport Ministry. 'Currently, there is no such system available for operators to refer to when hiring drivers,' Transport Minister Anthony Loke told reporters at a joint press conference with Communications Minister Datuk Fahmi Fadzil and Works Minister Datuk Seri Alexander Nanta Linggi after a weekly post-Cabinet meeting. 'The Cabinet has instructed the Transport Ministry to put further emphasis on the issues of enforcement. The ministry will give its utmost cooperation to execute this instruction,' he added. Loke said this is one of several steps taken by his ministry following the fatal bus crash which killed 15 Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris students and injured 33 others on the East-West Highway in Gerik, Perak, on Monday. Loke also revealed that his ministry has revoked the vehicle permit of the bus operator involved in the tragedy. He said the decision was made based on early investigations, which found the Kedah-based company had loaned the bus to a different individual in Kelantan at a cost of RM500 per month. He said this was against the vehicle permit regulations. The bus owner also failed to provide a GPS data report to the authorities because the device was not active, he added. 'These two requirements were clearly not met by the operator. 'Therefore, all vehicle permits owned by the operator will be revoked and any appeal made will not be accepted,' Loke said. Meanwhile, Nanta said the Works Ministry had allocated funds for upgrade works at the East-West Highway since 2023. He said the road was built in 1967 and requires upgrading. Nanta said he had approved RM30mil for the upgrade and maintenance in several critical sections of the highway in 2023, including improvements to the pavement and street lights. In addition, a total of RM7.2mil was allocated for repairs at other road sections of the highway last year. 'This year, RM55mil was allocated to repair accident-prone areas on the highway,' Nanta added. Fahmi also announced that the Cabinet had agreed to provide an additional RM10,000 for the families of victims who perished in the crash and RM5,000 for those who sustained injuries. He also said that the National Higher Education Fund Corporation loans of the victims who passed away would be waived.
Rakyat Post
2 days ago
- Rakyat Post
UPSI Crash: Bus Operator's Permit Revoked, RM10k Financial Aid For Bereaved Families
Subscribe to our FREE The Transport Ministry has READ MORE: READ MORE: Transport Minister Anthony Loke said the decision was made after an early investigation revealed that the Kedah-based operator committed two major violations. First, the bus operator violated the vehicle permit regulations by loaning the bus to a different individual in Kelantan for RM500 per month. The bus owner committed the second violation when they failed to activate the vehicle's GPS tracking system during operation thus failing to provide GPS data to the authorities when asked. Loke added all vehicle permits owned by the operator will be revoked and appeals would not be accepted. Additionally, a database compiling bus drivers' data would be established. The database, to be developed by the Land Transport Agency (Apad), would show the drivers' information and list blacklisted drivers who had previous convictions records or offences. The availability of a database would empower operators to do a background check on their prospective employees. Financial aid to be given to victims' families Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim had informed the cabinet that each bereaved family would receive RM10,000 in The Attorney-General's Chambers has also been instructed to look into the insurance aspects to ensure the victims and families receive the much needed support. Share your thoughts with us via TRP's . Get more stories like this to your inbox by signing up for our newsletter.
