JOHOR BAHRU, April 13 — An express bus company has terminated the services of a driver immediately after a viral video showed a woman sitting on his lap while he was driving a bus along the highway.

Sri Maju Group confirmed that the driver was employed by the company and that the incident took place while the bus was travelling from Terminal Bersepadu Selatan in Kuala Lumpur to Larkin Bus Terminal here yesterday.

“The safety and comfort of passengers is our priority. The act is a serious violation and is completely unacceptable,” the company said in a statement today.

The bus company said the driver’s actions were in breach of standard operating procedures and professional driving ethics, and expressed regret over the incident which has sparked public concern.

In response to the viral video, Sri Maju Group said it has lodged a police report, terminated the driver’s employment, and notified the Land Public Transport Agency for further investigation.

The company also apologised to passengers and the public affected by the incident, and said it would tighten safety monitoring measures, including expanding the use of closed-circuit television cameras across its fleet.

“The Sri Maju Group will not tolerate any behaviour that could threaten the safety of its passengers,” read the statement, adding that further improvements are being implemented to prevent similar incidents in future.

Separately, the Road Transport Department has also summoned the driver after a nine-second clip circulated online showing the incident.

The department said it has opened an investigation and is awaiting further instructions from its director-general.

Earlier, the clip, believed to have been recorded by a passenger, went viral on social media showing a woman seated on the driver’s lap while the bus was in motion, with parts of the footage appearing to show her handling the steering wheel.