SPAD suspends 27 Transnasional bus permits

The Land Public Transport Commission (SPAD) has suspended 27 Konsortium Transnasional Berhad (KTB) bus permits.

The decision followed an accident involving one of the buses in the fleet that claimed three lives on 12 April, and an audit on KTB which found that the company did not monitor its fleet’s speed limits and that the global positioning system (GPS) trackers on the buses were not working.

"SPAD will in effect on 23 April, 2014, suspend 27 Transnasional express bus permits on the eastern sector-northern zone route, following an accident involving the company," SPAD chief executive Mohd Nur Ismal Kamal said in a statement.

He also said that SPAD will “definitely” take similar action against other operators if they were found to have violated their license conditions which include not having buses with working GPS trackers.

SPAD said that operators will be required to appoint controllers to monitor the speed limits in real time, and that strong action should be taken against errant drivers by operators and to report the offence to SPAD.

Mohd Nur added that the commission was also studying the use of ‘black boxes’ and speed limiters in trade vehicles.

It was previously reported that SPAD issued a statement where it will be conducting a thorough investigation into the accident that occured at KM11, Jalan Bentong-Raub near Bilut which claimed three lives.

On 12 April, three people including a Somalian and his pregnant local wife were killed in a bus crash, whilst ten others were injured. The bus driver tested positive for drug abuse.