Kedah school bus driver turns to funeral transport work after losing students, vehicle seized by JPJ

“BALING, May 17 — A 73-year-old school bus driver in Kedah was forced to turn his vehicle into a paid passenger transport service after struggling to find students to ferry over the past two years, leading to the bus being seized by the Road Transport Department (JPJ) for allegedly misusing its permit. The school bus was detained during an operation by Kedah JPJ at the Gurun toll exit near here today after it was found carrying 26 passengers from Taman Intan, Sungai Petani, to Bukit Jenun, Pendang, to attend a funeral ceremony. Kedah JPJ director Stien Van Lutam said investigations found that the bus had not been transporting schoolchildren for the past two years due to a lack of demand. “The situation led the driver, who is also the bus owner, to take up paid passenger transport services from one destination to another,” he said during a press conference at the Kuala Ketil JPJ Enforcement Station today. Although the vehicle had valid insurance coverage and road tax, Van Lutam said it had breached the conditions of its operator’s licence by carrying passengers other than school students. According to him, the bus was seized under Section 80(1) of the Land Public Transport Act 2010 for allegedly committing an offence under Section 22(3) of the same Act. “The bus fulfilled all requirements, including having valid insurance and road tax, but it violated the operator’s licence conditions by carrying passengers other than school students,” he said. The elderly driver was also brought in to have his statement recorded. Meanwhile, Van Lutam said the Kedah JPJ is intensifying several enforcement operations to reduce road accidents and improve compliance among motorists in the state ahead of the festive season. He said the Hari Raya Aidiladha Special Operation 2026 would run from May 24 to 31, with monitoring and enforcement activities focusing on strategic locations and accident-prone areas. At the same time, the Kedah JPJ is continuing Op Luxury, which targets luxury vehicle owners found violating road regulations. “From July 1 last year until now, a total of 23 luxury vehicles have been seized in Kedah through the operation,” he said. Among the vehicles seized were high-end models such as the Porsche Cayenne, Mini Countryman and Mercedes-Benz A250 Sport. — Bernama

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