Letter to editor
WANITA MCA expresses profound sorrow over the recent fatal bus accident in Genting Highlands and calls upon the government, relevant authorities, travel agencies and tour bus operators to bolster tourism safety management.
Emphasising the need for detailed emergency response plans, Wanita MCA aims to prevent similar tragedies in the future.
In light of Malaysia’s extension of the visa-free policy for Chinese citizens until end-2026 to mark the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Malaysia and China, there are substantial opportunities for local tourism development.
Wanita MCA urges tourism operators to capitalise on this by promoting Malaysian attractions while prioritising enhanced safety measures to minimise accident risks. This initiative will enhance tourist confidence and satisfaction, thus contributing to a thriving tourism sector.
Key recommendations include ensuring all tour bus drivers possess valid licenses and receive regular professional training in emergency response and safe driving practices. Background checks should be stringent to exclude drivers with a history of violations, criminal records or drug offenses.
Secondly, tour bus operators must conduct regular comprehensive safety inspections of their vehicles to ensure compliance with road traffic safety standards throughout operations.
Wanita MCA calls on the Transport Ministry (MOT) to strengthen vehicle compliance enforcement proactively rather than reactively after accidents. MOT should consider implementing a demerit point system to penalise errant drivers with fines, temporary suspensions, or licence revocations.
Additionally, MOT and the Tourism, Arts and Culture Ministry should establish a collaborative regulatory framework to review the operations of travel agencies and tour bus operators so as to ensure adherence to regulatory standards.
Serious infractions should result in severe penalties, including criminal liability, alongside fines and license revocations.
Enhancing tourism safety management is a collective responsibility of travel agencies and affiliated tour bus operators.
By establishing robust regulatory and safety oversight mechanisms, we can bolster tourist confidence and satisfaction while effectively mitigating potential safety risks, thereby ensuring a secure tourism environment. – July 3, 2024
Wong You Fong is Wanita MCA national chairwoman.
The views expressed are solely of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Focus Malaysia.
