Express bus drivers will now have to undergo daily urine tests

All express bus drivers are now compelled to undergo daily urine test at bus terminals, while the double-decker bus service for six highland routes will be temporarily stopped from May.

Deputy Transport Minister Datuk Abdul Aziz Kaprawi said these were among the decisions made during yesterday's meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Bus Accident following several fatal accidents occurring recently.

"Prior to this, we only conducted urine tests on express bus drivers during festive season, but now we will do it on daily basis to ensure that each bus driver is fit to drive," he told reporters after chairing the meeting here on Tuesday.

He said the test, which involves 8,600 bus drivers, would be conducted jointly by the Road Transport Department and the National Anti-Drug Agency and the driving licence of the driver who failed in the test would be suspended immediately.

Meanwhile, he said the double-decker bus service would be stopped temporarily for the Cameron Highlands, Genting Highlands, Bukit Fraser, Bukit Larut, Gunung Jerai and Bukit Tinggi routes.

"The double-decker bus service for these six routes will be stopped temporarily until the weaknesses are identified and rectified," he said.

Aziz said the meeting also decided to adopt the United Nations (UN) Regulations of R36, R16, R32, R66, R80 and R107, which would ensure the construction of the structure of the vehicle will meet UN standards.

Apart from that, he said the meeting also agreed that the compulsory use of seat belts for all bus passengers would be enforced on Jan 1, 2015; the safety star-rating for all express bus companies would be introduced on July 1, this year; the installation of global positioning system (GPS) on all express buses to be enforced in another two months; the bus registration number and the contact number for complaint to be displayed on all seats in express bus from July 1 this year; and new curriculum for driving schools would be introduced from June 1, this year.

He added that the Land Transport Service Commission (SPAD) had also agreed to adopt the Occupational Safety and Health Act 1994 and the Industry Code of Practice on all bus operators.