Weak and negligent enforcement let public transport drivers with unpaid summonses keep driving

PUTRAJAYA – Weak and negligent enforcement has been identified as the main reason public transport drivers with unpaid summonses are still permitted to drive.

Independent criminologist Datuk Shahul Hamid Abd Rahim voiced serious concern over the issue, warning that it endangered both passengers and other road users.

"This is a very serious act of negligence and should not be happening. It endangers not only the lives of passengers but also the safety of other road users," he said on Wednesday.

Shahul said the Transport Ministry and the police, through their respective agencies, the Road Transport Department and the Traffic Investigation and Enforcement Department should amend existing laws to allow for stricter enforcement, including the immediate suspension of driving licences.

"If firm action is not taken, these drivers will continue committing offences. They know they can just wait for the government to announce traffic summons discounts.

"They have no fear and learn no lesson. If they were forced to pay their fines, they might think twice before breaking the law. But now, they have heaps of summonses and simply don’t care," he said.

He also recommended that the Road Safety System be reactivated and enforced seriously.

"If the penalty points exceed the legal limit, the driving licence should be suspended immediately. Don’t wait until an accident occurs to take action. The system already exists, why isn’t it being used effectively?," he added.

He warned that if the legal and enforcement aspects continued to be taken lightly by the relevant authorities, road accidents and fatalities will persist.

He said it was high time all parties take this issue seriously and stop merely talking about it every time an accident happens without any follow-up action.

Shahul also proposed that the Public Works Department (JKR) reviewed the use of iron guardrails along road shoulders and central dividers, which were often the cause of severe injuries and fatalities in accidents.

"I’ve noticed in many cases that these iron barriers have been the cause of horrific deaths when vehicles crash and the metal pierces into them.

"Perhaps JKR can consider using alternative materials such as rubber or impact-absorbing substances to reduce the risk of fatalities," he said.

Previously, police revealed that a bus driver involved in the accident involving students from Sultan Idris Education University (UPSI) had received 18 summonses.

Of those, 13 were issued for speeding offences.