Penang exco warns factory bus operators to stop roadside parking

GEORGE TOWN, March 6 — Strict enforcement action will be taken against factory buses parked by the roadsides from March 13 onwards, Penang exco Chow Kon Yeow said today.

He said special enforcement operations will be held jointly by Penang Island City Council (MBPP), the Land Public Transport Commission (SPAD), Road Transport Department (RTD) and police to crackdown on factory bus operators that refuse to park buses at designated spaces.

“Factory buses found parked by the roadsides or in residential areas will be clamped, towed or issued compounds,” Chow said.

He said the state government and the enforcement agencies held dialogue sessions with factory bus operators late last year and the operators hoped that a specific space could be provided for the buses to be parked at night.

“In response to their requests, we have identified two plots of land, a five acre land next to the second bridge and a 4.5 acre land at Lebuh Batu Maung Satu,” Chow said in a press conference in Komtar today.

He said both lands belonged to Penang Development Corporation (PDC) and that bus operators can pay monthly rental to park their buses there.

“The land next to the second bridge can accommodate about 300 buses and monthly rental per bus comes up to about RM180,” he said.

The monthly rental per bus for the plot of land in Lebuh Batu Maung Satu comes up to about RM224.

He said factory bus operators must discuss with PDC on renting the lands to park their buses.

“By right, it is the factory bus operator’s responsibility to find their own bus depot as listed in one of the conditions of their permits so the state has taken an extra step to assist them by identifying these lands for them to use,” he said.

He stressed that the lands are only for their temporary use until the bus operators set up their own depot to park their buses.

Chow said about 100 factory buses were parked by the roadsides and around residential areas in Relau.

“These buses are causing air pollution and blocking parts of the roads in the residential areas so they have to find other open spaces away from residential areas to park their buses,” he said.

He said enforcement action will start on March 13 night where bus operators may face compounds of between RM500 and RM500,000 from SPAD or have their vehicles towed away by the MBPP.