Special JPJ Penang Op Sees 25 Express, Tour Buses Fined For Absent Second Driver

Penang state JPJ conducted a special op through the night of Xmas Eve and early in the morning of Xmas day earlier this week.

The Penang state branch of the Road Transport Department (JPJ) recently conducted a special operation targeting a slew of heavy goods and passenger vehicles in the island state. The effort was revealed through a posting on the Penang state JPJ Facebook page yesterday.

Said operation was conducted on Christmas Eve (Dec 24) from 10PM, lasting until the morning of Christmas Day (Dec 25) where it ended at 7AM. Road blocks were established on both sides of the Juru, Bukit Tambun and Sultan Abdul Halim Muadzam Shah toll plazas.

In their Facebook post noted, JPJ Penang detailed some of the key offences and offenders detected during said op. One major outcome was the issuing of summonses and fines to no less than 25 express buses and tour buses for not having a second driver present and available.

A second driver is compulsory for express bus and tour bus operators undertaking trips exceeding four hours or 300 KM continuously. JPJ director Zuklifly Ismail had previously warned companies and operators who failed to comply with this regulation could see their operations halted.

A key result from this special op were the issuance of fines and summonses to no less than 25 express buses and tour buses that were detected with no second driver present and available.

The same Facebook post also detailed that enforcers also “compounded an express bus” due to the fact that its driver did not have a driving licence. A container lorry was also dealt the same fate when enforcers discovered an underaged driver behind its wheel.

Back to buses, JPJ Penang also detailed further action dealt to 23 buses for not having driver’s logbooks, not maintaining said driver’s logbooks, and for not having a tour guide. Altogether, the special op saw no less than 273 summonses and fines issued over various offences.