Dewan Rakyat Passes Commercial Vehicles Licensing Board (Amendment) 2024 Bill

KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 4 (Bernama) -- The Dewan Rakyat today approved the Commercial Vehicles Licensing Board (Amendment) 2024 Bill, which, among others, introduces the legal basis to address the issue of illegal or unauthorised bus ticket sales in Sabah, Sarawak and Labuan.

The Bill was approved with a majority vote after being debated by nine Members of Parliament from both the government and opposition blocs.

Earlier, Deputy Minister of Transport Datuk Hasbi Habibollah, when presenting the Bill for the second reading said the amendment included Clause 2, which aims to introduce a new Section 41A. This section outlines the legal basis and regulations under the Commercial Vehicles Licensing Board Act 1987 (Act 334).

“This amendment is to regulate and enforce laws to tackle issues of unauthorised ticket sales or the provision of illegal or unlicensed public transport services in these regions.

“It also includes e-hailing drivers offering unauthorised services without using the platform or application provided by the service operators, especially at public transport terminals, including airports and passenger piers,” he said.

Hasbi said the amendment sets penalties for individuals convicted under the new section, with fines up to RM50,000 or imprisonment for up to five years, or both.

“This provision is intended to ensure compliance with the law and to protect the interests of consumers from illegal service activities,” he said.

He mentioned that there have been cases where irresponsible parties without licensed and legal service under Act 334 have persuaded and pressured the public to use their unlicensed vehicles.

From 2021 to 2024, a total of 515 cases were registered, with a total fine of RM2,350,900 for offences of offering unauthorised services under Section 205(1) of the Land Public Transport Act 2010 (Act 715).

-- BERNAMA