Stern action will be taken against any bus companies which fail to comply with traffic rules and regulations, including allowing drivers with unsettled summonses to drive, said Transport Minister Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai.

As such, thorough investigations will be carried out into all bus companies involved in road accidents during the 'Ops Selamat' period, including the latest incident which saw an express bus rammed into 10 cars on the PLUS expressway yesterday, the minister told reporters after visiting Sekolah Menengah Chong Hwa Kuantan in Bunut Rendang here today.

He said the ministry would also not hesitate to blacklist drivers with unpaid summonses or demerit points as 'heavier penalty for those who failed to adhere to the law'.

Liow said this in response to a media report that the bus driver who was involved in the accident yesterday had nine unpaid summonses for various traffic offences from 2011 to 2015.

READ: Driver, company of runaway bus riddled with traffic summonses

READ: Bus rams into 10 cars at PLUS highway

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According to Perak traffic police chief Supt Wan Jamil Wan Chik, the bus company had also been issued with 63 summonses.

Liow said he also hoped that the road accident rates in the country would be reduced once the Automated Awareness Safety System (AWAS) and the Demerit Point Award System for Traffic Offences (Kejara) take effect.

"We have to implement AWAS and Kejara where the enforcement will be done using cameras. There will be no issues of abuse or misappropriation because we are using technology to identify traffic offenders," he said.