Buses using empty seats to carry goods which is against the law

SIBU: There are no cases of buses carrying excessive passengers, but there cases of empty seats being used to courier goods instead, said Sarawak Commercial Vehicle Licensing Board (LPKP) chairman Michael Kong.

“There are instances where there are fewer passengers than seats, and the empty seats are used to transport goods. We at LPKP are addressing this issue as we understand public concerns that seats are intended for passengers.

“JPJ has calculated that there is a weight limit that buses can safely carry. Exceeding this limit by transporting extra goods can be dangerous. Therefore, LPKP is conducting a comprehensive review of all our policies,” he said.

He was fielding questions from reporters who wanted to know if there are cases of excess passengers on buses after attending the Road Safety Advocacy Programme in conjunction with Hari Gawai 2024 at the Sibu Bus Terminal last night (May 23).

Kong said that they are also trying to synchronise policies with LPKP Sabah so that they can look into ways to limit the amount of weight on express buses.

“I do not want to comment too much at this time, but we are looking into it. Rest assured the number of seats on the bus will not exceed the number of passengers,” he added.

Meanwhile, on the roadblocks, Kong said there are always roadblocks to ensure compliance by  public bues.

“The roadblocks are for normal passenger cars and motorcycles to ensure that they also comply with the rules and regulations.

“According to JPJ Sarawak director Norizan Jili, as a safety measure, JPJ also sends undercover officers to sit on the buses to observe if these buses comply with the stipulated rules and regulations,” he said.