KOTA BARU: More than 1,000 school van operators in Kelantan are operating without permits, with some earning nearly RM10,000 a month, the Road Transport Department (RTD) has revealed.
The vans are said to carry up to 15 students each, making at least four trips daily.
Some operators also use poorly maintained vans more than 20 years old, with some lacking even air-conditioning, to maximise their profits.
Kelantan RTD director Mohd Misuari Abdullah said the violations were uncovered through intelligence gathering and an operation codenamed Ops Kenderaan Perkhidmatan Pengangkutan (KPPA) conducted last Thursday.
He said the operators used various tactics to avoid detection, including not displaying school van markings on their vehicles.
“When stopped, they would claim they were only ferrying family members who were attending school. However, for this operation, we conducted three months of intelligence gathering and tracked their movements from early morning.
“During Ops KPPA, we issued 20 summonses and seized nine private vans converted for use as school vans under Section 64(1) of the Road Transport Act
“Some of the vans did not have a valid road tax. All the seized vans were from the Kota Baru district, with some owners operating two vans.
“The owners were aged between 30 and 60,” he said at a press conference here today.
Misuari said the department estimated that more than 1,000 school vans in the state were operating without permits, driven by strong demand, particularly in urban areas.
He said many operators did not apply for permits because their vehicles were more than 20 years old.
“They earn nearly RM10,000 a month, so a lack of money to buy new vans is not an excuse. They are engaging in this activity for lucrative profits without considering the safety of the students.
“We urge all school van operators to come forward to apply for permits and comply with the regulations.
“Strict action will be taken against repeat offenders, including the forfeiture of their vehicles,” he said.
He said the department would intensify inspections and enforcement to ensure all vehicles used to carry passengers complied with legal requirements and safety standards.