RTD to confiscate 'illegal taxi' in border areas

The Road Transport Department (RTD) will take stern action by confiscating all 'kereta sapu' (illegal taxis) found to be operating in border areas in a bid to prevent the activity from becoming rampant.

RTD Enforcement Director Datuk V. Valluvan Veloo said prior to this, owners or drivers of such illegal taxis would only be slapped with compound fines.

"After this, we will confiscate their vehicles so that they know that we were serious in fighting the activity.

"Besides, we will also implement the issuance of Vehicle Entry Permit (VEP) in which all foreign vehicles entering the country will be registered to enable the RTD to monitor their movements," he told reporters after attending the RTD Briefing Programme, Monday.

Valluvan said in the recent special operation at Kedah-Thailand border which ended this morning, 24 vans from Thailand were stopped in Alor Setar, Gurun and Changlun and were found to be transporting passengers in and out of the country illegally.

"These vans were issued with compound fines totalling RM12,300. They were detained for violating the international circulation permit and were not covered by insurance," he added.

Meanwhile, Valluvan said the special squad formed early this year to detect cloned vehicles had managed to detect and detain 21 cloned vehicles of various models throughout a four-day operation in Kedah.

"These vehicles are estimated at RM420,000 and were detained around Sungai Petani and Kulim. Nationwide, a total of 100 cloned vehicles worth RM2 million had been detained by the squad between Jan 1 and today," he said.