KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 7 — The Tourism, Arts and Culture Ministry (Motac) yesterday said the transport company that managed a Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris (UPSI) bus that crashed and killed 15 students has been fined RM20,000.
In a statement, it said Kenari Utara Travel & Tours Sdn Bhd pleaded guilty to the offence of selling a tour bus with registration number PLD 8892 and leasing the vehicle permit to Noreen Maju Trading, an entity that was operating a tourism control business without a licence under the Tourism Industry Act 1992.
On Monday, the Gerik Magistrate’s Court convicted Kenari Utara Travel & Tours Sdn Bhd on two charges under Regulation 6(1)(f) of the Tourism Industry Act 1992 for failing to comply with a licence condition that prohibits dealing with unlicensed parties.
The court imposed a fine of RM10,000 for each charge against the company and ordered a maximum five-year jail sentence should the company fail to pay the fine.
In the early morning incident on June 9, 15 UPSI students died when the chartered bus carrying them from Jertih, Terengganu, to the main campus in Tanjung Malim, Perak, was involved in a crash on the East-West Highway (JRTB) near Tasik Banding, Gerik.
Thirty-three others, including the bus driver and conductor, as well as the driver and three passengers of a multipurpose vehicle (MPV), were left with injuries.
