BUTTERWORTH, Nov 7 —A factory bus driver tried to escape for about five kilometres to avoid being stopped by Road Transport Department (JPJ) officers during a special operation on factory buses along the Tun Dr Lim Chong Eu Expressway near the Batu Maung industrial area in Bayan Lepas early this morning.

JPJ personnel chased the bus for about 10 minutes before managing to stop it in Batu Maung.

It is understood that the 39-year-old driver had just dropped off workers and was on his way back to the depot when the incident happened.

Penang JPJ director Zulkifly Ismail said checks found that the driver did not have a public service vehicle (PSV) licence. The bus also did not have a valid road tax (LKM) or insurance.

“The driver claimed that his employer told him not to stop, so he decided to flee. Fortunately, there were no passengers on board at the time,” he told a press conference at the Penang JPJ headquarters in Seberang Jaya here today.

Zulkifly said the driver also had 10 outstanding summonses for similar offences, including driving without a PSV licence, insurance, and road tax.

He added that the operation, which began at 5 am, also found several bus operators hiring foreign nationals as factory bus drivers - an offence under the Land Public Transport Act (APAD) 2010

During the operation, 215 buses were inspected, with 26 factory buses found committing offences. JPJ issued 81 summonses and seized 20 buses.

Zulkifly reminded factory bus operators to check their drivers’ documents, including their driving and PSV licences, before hiring them.