Majority of audited bus and lorry operators fail RTD safety inspection

EIGHTY-FIVE out of 133 bus and lorry operators audited by the Road Transport Department (RTD) have failed to meet regulatory standards, the department confirmed today, following a four-day inspection sweep.

According to the New Straits Times, RTD director-general Datuk Aedy Fadly Ramli (pic) said the failures were identified during a comprehensive Inspection and Safety Audit targeting 500 public service and commercial goods vehicle operators flagged for outstanding RTD and Land Public Transport Agency (APAD) summonses.

“The 85 companies comprise 43 lorry operators and 42 express and tour bus operators,” Aedy said at a press conference after a departmental assembly.

He added that the RTD would recommend to APAD that the operating licences of all 85 non-compliant companies be either suspended or revoked.

Among the common violations were the failure to appoint safety and health officers or coordinators, not equipping all vehicles with GPS systems, and the lack of GPS monitoring.

Operators also neglected to maintain proper records of driving hours, failed to log 30-minute rest breaks for every four hours of driving, and did not produce any form of safety action plan.

“All companies due for audit over the next month will be inspected without advance notice,” Aedy said, adding that the department will continue enforcing the law without compromise.

“We will take stricter action against any company found breaching regulations or neglecting safety obligations. This is part of our broader effort to improve road safety and uphold the integrity of Malaysia’s transport system,” he said.

The audits focus on operator compliance with safety procedures, vehicle maintenance, driver management, and statutory record-keeping under the Road Transport Act and related regulations.

The intensified inspection regime follows a deadly bus crash on 9 June which claimed the lives of 15 students from Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris (UPSI), as well as several other recent accidents involving heavy vehicles. -  June 29, 2025