WITH many still reeling from a spate of high-profile accidents involving heavy vehicles – the latest being the one where 15 Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris students perished after their chartered bus skidded on June 9 – a video depicting a bus driver busy scrolling social media while speeding has raised heckles of Malaysians.
The clip was shared on X by Cikgu_Anep (@Cikgu_Anep) who commended the passenger for ticking off the driver. The poster was astounded that the driver could be so callous as to risk dozens of lives just to get his TikTok fix.
The video identifies the bus service provider as Sanwa Express plying the Penang-Mersing route.
Many netizens urged the authorities – especially under-fire Transport Minister Anthony Loke Siew Fook – to swiftly act on the matter.
After all, the pertinent details such as bus company, date and time of journey, and route have been provided. It was also suggested that there be plain clothes inspectors on these buses to conduct spot-checks or nab the speed demons red-handed.
One commenter reminded the authorities that this was where enforcement was needed, not constantly patrolling to nab those with fancy number plates, modified tailpipes or tinted window/windscreen.
It would appear this is not an isolated incident. Another commenter claimed to have boarded a Sanwa bus to Mersing to give his kids the backpackers’ experience of travelling by coach
However, he expressed absolute horror at the speed the bus was travelling for they even arrived at their destination two hours early! Never again, he vowed.
Another netizen backed this up by highlighting that there were only bad reviews of the said bus company on the redBus ticket booking site.
The reason proffered for these speeding drivers was that they were trying to maximise the number of trips.
One commenter called for dash cams to be installed on all heavy vehicles which provide public transportation. This should be a priority for the authorities instead of constantly checking on individual car drivers, he argued.
Many netizens applauded the man in the video who dared to scold the driver for his irresponsible driving.
One commenter lamented that these daredevil drivers would eventually blame brake failure in the event of a fatal crash.
The thing to note is that the Transport Minister isn’t the one speeding or scrolling on the phone.
However, he can put in place stiffer penalties and more effective enforcement. How many more lives need to be needlessly lost before a decisive action is taken?
In the meantime, it would appear the most effective deterrent would be to viral videos such as this to not only spark awareness but to serve as an effective reporting channel or to reach out to the relevant authorities. – July 17, 2025
