PETALING JAYA: Following the lifting of the ban on interstate travel, it is vital to ensure that express and excursion buses are safe for outstation journeys, said the Malaysian Institute of Road Safety Research (Miros).
Its chairman, Datuk Suret Singh (pix), said that vehicle safety should be of the utmost priority.
“The safety supervisor or safety officer should make sure all safety measures are in place. By this, I mean there should be pre-journey inspection of vehicles and drivers.”
Suret added that vehicles should pass the pre-journey checklist by following closely what is listed in Attachment A-2 of the Industrial Code Of Practice (ICOP) Safety Guide book.
He also said drivers must be fit enough to handle vehicles and must have their health condition checked before undertaking long journeys.
Yesterday, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob said interstate travel for fully vaccinated individuals will be allowed, given that 90% of the adult population had been fully vaccinated.
It will be the first time since January that interstate travel will be allowed without the need for police permits.
Suret added that any last-minute driver replacements should not be allowed.
“There should be sufficient lead time to allow for a proper check of drivers’ medical and driving records and experience.
“Transport company operators must check drivers’ backgrounds for summonses, as well as experience in driving heavy vehicles. We at Miros do not advise that contract drivers be allowed as a replacement if a driver is not able to make the journey.”
He added that transport operators must monitor all trips through the Global Positioning System for speeding, driving time (maximum four hours of continuous driving with a 30-minute break).
He said the eight-hour limit per day for drivers should also be strictly observed.
“In the case of unforeseen circumstances taking place between journeys such as vehicle breakdowns or other incidents, the driver should be counselled on what to do.
He should know how to manage, prepare and use safety equipment before the rescue or breakdown team arrives.”
He also noted that any incident during the journey must be reported to the company’s control and monitoring centre and the authorities.
“Since long-distance journeys have not been performed for many months, all companies should comply with the six-monthly internal safety check requirements, which are under the ICOP guidelines.
“Operators also need to be aware that the Road Transport Department is stepping up its 23-point audit checks on operators to ensure safety compliance.”
