by DayakDaily Team
KUCHING, March 29: The Sarawak Commercial Vehicle Licensing Board (CVLB) is taking proactive steps to enhance boarding security protocols among bus operators and terminals following a recent incident where a young boy sneaked onto an express bus and travelled to Kapit undetected by both the driver and passengers.
In a statement, Sarawak CVLB chairman Michael Kong emphasised the board’s commitment to public safety.
“While Sarawak CVLB is primarily a licensing and regulatory board, we have a moral and civic duty to ensure that our license holders adhere to strict safety measures,” he said.
To address security concerns, Kong stated that the board is actively engaging with bus operators and terminal management to strengthen boarding procedures.
“The initial measures proposed to the industry players include mandatory final boarding verification, enhanced surveillance and monitoring as well as passenger manifest updates,” he said.
On the recent case of a young boy sneaking onto an express bus, Kong said, following an investigation into the incident, Sarawak CVLB identified security lapses that allowed the oversight to occur.
“Despite existing procedures requiring both the bus company staff and terminal staff to verify passengers before departure, the child was able to slip onto the bus after these checks were completed,” Kong noted.
“The lack of strict boarding enforcement and the assumption that he was travelling with an adult passenger allowed him to remain undetected until reaching the final destination.”
Kong stressed that Sarawak CVLB takes public safety and security seriously and expects all licensed bus operators to uphold the highest passenger safety standards.
“We remain committed to ensuring high safety standards across the public transport industry. We urge all express bus operators to take their responsibility seriously and enforce better security measures to prevent such incidents in the future.
“We also urge the public and bus passengers to remain vigilant and immediately report any suspicious activity to the bus crew or authorities. Ensuring a safe and reliable public transport system is a shared responsibility, and Sarawak CVLB remains committed to enhancing passenger security and trust in our transportation network,” Kong said. – DayakDaily
