Sunday January 18, 2009

Consumers against bus-barring, operators seek more details

PETALING JAYA: Bus operators want more details of the Transport Ministry’s proposal to ban express buses after midnight.

Consumer groups, meanwhile, are totally against the idea.

“The Government must explain why they are implementing such a move. Do more accidents happen at night?

“Maybe they can show us the statistics,” Pan Malaysian Bus Operators Association (PMBOA) president Datuk Ashfar Ali told The Star.

The move, he said, would make it inconvenient for passengers and cause more congestion on the roads as more vehicles would be on the road by day.

“We do trips at night only because there are demands from passengers. About 40% of express buses start their trips after 7pm. You won’t be able to reach your destination in time for long haul trips,” he said.

Ashfar said passengers could opt to start their journey earlier but would waste a day travelling.

“With the midnight ban, this means they have to spend at least two days to get their business done, plus they have to fork out for accommodation,” he said.

Fomca secretary-general Muhd Sha’ani Abdullah called the proposal “impractical” and would not encourage economic growth and efficient movement of people.

“It means no more buses can depart at night. Many people travel at night because they want to save time to do something else during the day,” he said.

He said the move would lead to bus operators cutting corners to make up for lost earnings.

It might be dangerous to passengers if the safety of vehicles was compromised, he added.