BUTTERWORTH: Express buses travelling on trips of more than 300 kilometres are required to have second drivers for passenger safety.
Penang Road Transport (JPJ) director Zulkifly Ismail said the regulation also applies for journeys exceeding four hours to ensure drivers get enough rest, thereby reducing the risk of accidents, especially involving fatal ones.
"Express buses on journeys exceeding 300km require a second driver, but many express bus operators fail to provide this.
"The normal reason we get is that the second driver will take over at the next terminal, but the rules stipulate that two drivers are required when starting the journey," he told reporters when met after a special Hari Raya operation on express buses at the Penang Sentral Bus Terminal, here, last night.
Zulkifly said express buses found travelling without a second driver would not be allowed to start their journey.
Meanwhile, he said that in the operation conducted from April 1 until yesterday, a total of 121 buses were inspected and five did not have second drivers.
"Overall, a total of 4,553 vehicles were inspected and 1,377 summonses were issued for various offences, with action taken against 790 vehicles, 37 of them were confiscated," he said, adding that the operation would continue until April 20. —BERNAMA