KUALA LUMPUR, June 11 — Transport Minister Anthony Loke today announced that the government will establish a centralised database to monitor the records of express and tour bus drivers, aiming to curb negligence and improve public transport safety.
Loke said the initiative was discussed during a recent Cabinet meeting following concerns about negligent drivers operating public transport vehicles.
“At present, we lack an integrated system that compiles the backgrounds and driving records of bus drivers. What we have is merely a licensing system, which does not indicate whether a driver has a history of misconduct or negligence,” he said at the Communications Ministry’s weekly press conference here today.
The database, to be developed by the Land Public Transport Agency (APAD), will enable the government and bus operators to identify drivers with prior offences.
“This system will help prevent drivers with poor track records from being rehired by other companies, especially those with weak regulatory practices,” Loke said.
He cited instances where drivers dismissed for serious violations by one operator were later employed by another due to the absence of a reference system.
“This database will serve as a crucial reference point for all operators before they recruit drivers,” he added.
Loke also stressed that the ministry will emphasise driver enforcement, training, and evaluation as part of efforts to enhance public transport safety. He said this includes more comprehensive assessments and mandatory training programmes for drivers.
Earlier today, Bukit Aman Traffic Investigation and Enforcement Department director Datuk Mohd Yusri Hassan Basri revealed that the driver involved in the recent crash that killed 15 Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris (UPSI) students had a history of 18 traffic summonses.
Of the summonses, 13 were issued for speeding, three for not wearing a seatbelt, one for the absence of a third brake light, and one for a prior accident, Yusri reportedly said.
