JERANTUT, March 18 — The Transport Ministry has warned that strict action, including licence revocation, will be taken against express bus companies that hike economy ticket prices ahead of Aidilfitri.
Transport Minister Anthony Loke said the ministry received complaints about fare hikes imposed by express bus operators, especially for routes from the capital to the East Coast.
“I have instructed the Land Public Transport Agency to investigate companies that hike fares. There are two categories of bus services, economy and executive. For economy-class buses, fares are regulated and cannot be raised arbitrarily.
“The other category is executive buses, which offer additional services, and their ticket prices are not regulated. However, even for executive buses, if the price hike is excessive, we will take action.
“We must investigate first to determine the category of these fare hikes,” he said after a helmet swap at Jerantut District Council hall here today.
Loke said express bus operators are only permitted to impose a 10 per cent surcharge during festive seasons.
On March 22 last year, he announced that a 10 per cent surcharge on express bus fares during festive periods was allowed, considering factors such as increased service capacity and bus rental costs.
However, he noted that this surcharge was not new and had been in place for 20 years, applicable from one week before to one week after major celebrations.
Meanwhile, when asked about integrated enforcement operations for Aidilfitri, he said they would be conducted nationwide from March 24 to April 8 to monitor, detect and take action against road users who violate traffic laws.
“We have identified hotspot areas, with 36 locations in Pahang alone. We will deploy Road Transport Department (JPJ) officers to these hotspots,” he said.
On the helmet swap programme, Loke said similar initiatives will be continued to raise awareness among motorcyclists and pillion riders about the importance of wearing helmets that meet safety standards.
“Today, the ministry and JPJ distributed 500 helmets to Jerantut residents as part of the effort to improve road safety. From my observation, most of the helmets brought to be exchanged were no longer suitable for use.
“If a helmet is in poor condition, it is no longer safe as it cannot fully protect motorcyclists and their pillion riders. That is why it is crucial to wear a quality helmet, and we hope this programme will help increase awareness on this matter,” he said.
— Bernama
