KUALA LUMPUR – The operating licence of the tour bus company involved in the fatal road accident in Genting Highlands last month, which resulted in the deaths of two Chinese tourists, has been revoked.
In a statement, the Land Public Transport Agency (Apad) said that its investigation into the accident revealed the tour bus company had violated statutory conditions specified in its operational licence under the Land Public Transport Act 2010 and had engaged in dangerous driving.
“Apad, through its licence cancellation and suspension committee, has decided on July 9 to immediately revoke the operational licence of Syarikat M. Kumar Trans Tour Sdn Bhd, as well as any vehicle permits issued by Apad,” said the agency.
Apad also said that its checks with relevant agencies have revealed that the tour bus company has a history of accumulating a high number of traffic summonses.
“(Apad would like to) stress that any transactions related to the operational licence of this company will be permitted, effectively immediately.”
The agency also stressed that it would not tolerate acts of dangerous driving made by operators of land public transport and that it would intensify its safety and compliance audits on high-risk operators to ensure that passengers’ safety is safeguarded.
Operators are also told to monitor the performance of their drivers and ensure that their welfare is taken care of at all times to guarantee passengers’ safety.
On June 29, it was reported that the driver of the tour bus that crashed on the way down from Genting Highlands does not have a driving licence and has a history of traffic violations.
Bentong police chief Zaiham Mohd Kahar said further investigation into the 32-year-old S. Anand Kumar revealed that he had 27 previous traffic summonses for various offences.
Anand has since been charged in the Raub magistrates’ court on July 3 with two counts of reckless driving and driving without a licence, both offences under the Road Transport Act 1987. – July 11, 2024