SPAD urges stranded passengers to lodge report

PETALING JAYA: The Land Public Transport Commission (SPAD) has urged disgruntled passengers who were left stranded for hours at the Terminal Bersepadu Selatan (TBS) over the weekend to lodge a report with them.
Senior general manager (enforcement) Datuk Che Hasni Che Ahmad said only then would SPAD investigate the matter and take action, should any of the bus operators be found to have been negligent in their operations.
He said this included issuing a compound to the operators and taking them to court, under the Land Public Transport Act 2010.
"The passengers can lodge a report, but they have to be willing to provide their statement to us. We will also record statements from the companies involved.
"I understand that the traffic was massively congested on Sunday because of Chinese New Year, so it could be that. We will have to listen to both sides of the story. But if it's true they (bus operators) were guilty, we will take action," he told theSun today.
Che Hasni was responding to a case at TBS in Bandar Tasik Selatan where hundreds of passengers were stranded, some for over eight hours, after their buses either arrived many hours behind schedule, or not at all.
Terminal staff were forced to place some stranded passengers on whichever other buses were vacant.
Che Hasni said passengers could also have lodged reports immediately at SPAD's office in TBS should there have been any complications.
Meanwhile, SPAD communications department manager Hazimin Sulaiman said the commission would not hesitate to apply the maximum force of the law against any bus operators found to be negligent.
He said this included aspects such as safety, as well as vehicles' maintenance and driver management.
"Depending on the severity of the offence, bus companies risk having their licences suspended or revoked," he added.