SPAD: They deserve better pay

KUALA LUMPUR: The Land Public Transport Commission (SPAD) said express bus drivers deserve a better deal with higher regular salaries and improved benefits.

Its chairman, Tan Sri Syed Hamid Syed Albar, said the concern about overworked express bus drivers, in the wake of a fatal bus crash in Pagoh, Johor, showed how vital they were to passengers’ safety.

He said express bus drivers deserved better fixed pay as their salaries were not high and they had to earn extra income by making more trips, which impacted their health.

“We (SPAD) have said that the commission-based system of wages for bus drivers is not encouraged, and it has been blamed for accidents caused by drivers trying to make as many trips as possible,” he said.

On the other hand, there is concern that express bus operators would not be able to afford higher salaries for the drivers without increasing bus fares.

Syed Hamid said express bus operators could not increase the fares without permission from the government and, being private companies, they feared they would go bust should the government regulate their drivers’ salary without allowing for a more flexible fare pricing.

“We have recommended that fare increases be allowed as these private companies need to survive, and they can pay better salaries to their drivers,” he said.

He was speaking on the recent horrific bus accident in Pagoh that killed 14 people and injured 16 others, as well as the steps taken by SPAD to address road fatalities.

SPAD would meet express bus operators and public agencies to discuss how to improve passengers’ safety, including providing better express bus drivers, he said.

He also mentioned other possible solutions, such as installing a speed-limit device rule for express buses to prevent the vehicles from going over the speed limit.

Meanwhile, Syed Hamid said even though SPAD issued licences for commercial vehicles, it had no jurisdiction when it came to checking the drivers for offences, such as drug abuse.

SPAD will take the initiative to call up express bus operators to attend courses on how to manage their drivers.

Syed Hamid said the 51 recommendations in a report by an independent advisory panel on the Genting Highlands bus crash in 2013 should be published as they were scientific recommendations.