Tour buses get LCCT warning

Thursday May 21, 2009

PUTRAJAYA: Tour bus operators that allow their buses to pick up individual travellers at the Low-Cost Carrier Terminal (LCCT) in Sepang will risk having their permits revoked, Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Datuk Seri Nazri Aziz said yesterday.

He said the buses were only allowed to send or pick up passengers from the LCCT travelling on tours arranged by travel agents.

"I am warning tour bus operators who contravene the conditions in their permit that we will revoke it and there will be no warning issued," he told a press conference after attending the Prime Minister's Department legal affairs division excellence awards presentation ceremony.

Nazri said he had received complaints from taxi operators during his visit to the LCCT recently that they were losing customers to tour buses.

On the freeze on taxi permits, he said it only affected taxis at the LCCT as there were already about 1,400 taxis operating at the airport.

Asked if the Commercial Vehicle Licensing Board would be stepping up operations to nab touts at the KLIA, he said the board was short-handed as it had only 45 enforcement officers nationwide.

"I am also looking at creating a permanent committee that will include the police and the Road Transport Department to curb problems with commercial vehicles.

"These authorities have the power to act if the operators commit offences. Their joint efforts will complement our enforcement," he said, adding that he hoped to meet with Transport Minister Datuk Seri Ong Tee Keat soon to discuss the matter.

This article is a verbatim copy of the original article from The Star.