PETALING JAYA: The Transport Ministry will minimise any red tape to help school bus drivers and operators recover post-Covid-19, says Datuk Seri Dr Wee Ka Siong.

       The Transport Minister said he understood the grievances of all industry players.

       “My team and I in the Ministry are trying our best to find a solution and a way to help you all get through difficult times. Everything related to bureaucracy will be minimised to enable industry players to rise again after Covid-19," said Dr Wee.

       “After this, any application for a school bus operator’s license sponsored by government agencies, NGOs, zakat and the like will be simplified,” he added in a Facebook post on Tuesday (Jan 18).

       Dr Wee also said he was at the annual general meeting of the Kuala Lumpur and Selangor Bumiputera School Bus Operators Association in Kuala Lumpur.

       He said that since the association was founded in 1992, it had contributed significantly and played its role in the industry.

       Also present were association president Amali Munif Rahmat dan Puspakom Wangsa Maju branch manager Rizal Hamdan.

       In his speech, Dr Wee clarified that the Temporary Vehicle License (LPS) for school buses is limited to three nearby districts only, while LPS for college or university buses is limited by the institution’s location.

       “This is to prevent operators from operating outside of the allowed areas for the purpose of enforcement,” he said.

       He noted that the LPS is issued to avoid any overlap of service purposes for excursion buses.

       “However, school buses can ferry college and university students without the LPS," said Dr Wee.

       “The operation of tertiary institutions buses and school buses are different, where the former is subject to the appointment of the university or college that offers the service contract for the bus operator. Also, the operating areas for the two types of services are also different,” he added.