Bus drivers forced to work while sick should complain - SPAD

Bus drivers who are forced to drive long distances by their employers when they are sick should complain about it to the Human Resources Ministry.

Land Public Transport Commission (SPAD) chairman Tan Sri Syed Hamid Albar said bus company operators should not force their drivers to work in a state of drowsiness or exhaustion.

"Drivers who have to work even when they're exhausted and sleepy should not keep quiet. They should take the matter to the Human Resources Ministry," he said.

He was speaking to reporters after visiting the public transport service site at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport 2 (KLIA2) here today.

Syed Hamid also said several bus accidents involving fatalities could have been prevented if the bus operators had been careful in their selection of drivers.

Commenting on the recent express and tourist buses crashes, he said SPAD would wait for the police investigations before taking any action against the bus operators.

However, suspension was not an effective solution he said and called on the relevant agencies to coordinate their jurisdiction with respect to the training of bus operators and legal action against them.

Yesterday, a Singaporean tourist was killed when the bus he was travelling in plunged into a ravine at KM70 of the Kuantan-Segamat Highway.

It was the second accident involving a bus in less than 24 hours in Pahang.

Whereas, last Saturday, 10 people were injured when the express bus they were travelling in was involved in an accident at KM118 of the East Coast Highway, heading to Kuala Lumpur.

Earlier, Syed Hamid and SPAD senior management were the first group of visitors taken on a tour of the new KLIA express station at KLIA2.

Express Rail Link Sdn Bhd has the license to operate at KLIA2 from April 14.

The KLIA express and KLIA Transit Services which have been extended to KLIA2 will start commercial operations on May 2 when the KLIA2 airport terminal opens.

Syed Hamid said the journey from Kuala Lumpur Sentral to KLIA2 station would take 33 minutes with a two-minute stop at the KLIA station.