Experts Push For Corporate Liability In Wake Of Transport Safety Failures

With nearly two-thirds of transport companies failing recent safety audits, road safety experts are calling for urgent reforms to hold negligent bus and lorry operators accountable, NST has reported.

At the centre of their proposal is a corporate liability law that would make transport companies and their top executives legally responsible for crashes caused by negligence.

They’re also pushing for a public list of repeat offenders to boost transparency.

“Fines alone aren’t working—reckless drivers aren’t deterred,” Dr. Law Teik Hua of UPM told NST. “Holding companies financially accountable is the only way to make safety a priority."

He was responding to JPJ Director-General Datuk Aedy Fadly Ramli’s statement that 85 out of 133 operators recently audited had failed basic safety checks. Under the proposed law, firms would need to prove they took all reasonable steps to prevent accidents.

“This puts real pressure on operators to clean up their act,” said Law, adding that company directors should face penalties or even criminal charges if drivers are found negligent. Sanctions could include blacklisting, licence suspensions, or fines tied to company revenue.

Transport analyst Wan Agyl Wan Hassan described the audit findings as a serious red flag citing issues like exhausted drivers and poorly maintained brakes.

“If this is what an audit uncovers, imagine what’s being missed,” he said. Wan Agyl is also calling for real-time tracking to monitor speeding and driver fatigue, saying those who cut corners should not be trusted to operate on public roads.

He also suggested a public registry to expose high-risk operators.

Meanwhile, UPNM road safety expert Dr. Ng Choy Peng urged the government to enforce proper working hours for commercial drivers.

“JPJ recommends no more than eight hours of driving a day with breaks—but there’s no strong legal backing,” she said. “Some drivers go for 12 hours straight and only rest the next day. That kind of fatigue leads to dangerous behaviour behind the wheel. Companies must do better.”