As a new academic year approaches, national transport regulators have launched a major crackdown on unruly and unsafe behavior among public service vehicle (PSV) operators, revealing that 82 operating permits have been suspended over eight months for violating road conduct rules.
Transport Authority Director Ruth Holder announced the enforcement figures at a joint press conference hosted by the Ministry of Transport and Works and the Ministry of Education, just days ahead of the new school term opening on Monday, September 7. According to Holder, the expanded use of digital video surveillance across the country’s road network has given regulators concrete evidence to hold irresponsible operators accountable, marking a significant step forward in cracking down on road indiscipline.
“Since December last year, we have held consistent consultations with PSV owners, drivers and industry operators, and we have taken decisive enforcement action once evidence is secured,” Holder stated, noting that footage of violations has circulated widely on social media platforms. The permit suspensions, issued between December 2025 and the end of July 2026, target both operators and in some cases vehicle owners who fail to enforce conduct standards. Penalties range from formal warnings to 14-day permit suspensions, with one particularly severe violation resulting in a 42-day suspension, Holder added. Regulators also hold pre-penalty meetings with offending operators to review violations and determine appropriate disciplinary action, and local police have collaborated with the Transport Authority to provide additional enforcement support when needed.
The crackdown comes as transport industry leaders themselves push for stricter standards to protect commuters, especially schoolchildren returning to classes next week. Mark Haynes, acting chief executive for communications and public education at the Alliance Owners of Public Transport (AOPT), condemned the reckless and disrespectful behavior of a small subset of operators, saying public service providers have a fundamental responsibility to treat all passengers with decency.
Haynes specifically called for an immediate end to the use of obscene language and inappropriate music on PSVs, noting that many students are drawn to vehicles that play loud popular music, exposing them to explicit lyrics that harm their academic focus and personal development. “When schoolchildren fill their heads with offensive lyrics from these rides, they cannot concentrate on their lessons the way they should,” Haynes explained. He urged operators to abandon inappropriate content on their vehicles, and called on parents to guide their children to make better choices about which vehicles they ride to and from school. “No commuter – whether a child or an adult – should be forced to endure this kind of disrespectful behavior on public transport,” he added.
Anwar Nana, head of the Alliance of Public Transport Operators, echoed the call for stricter oversight, going a step further to demand mandatory random drug and alcohol testing for all PSV drivers. “We formally requested the transport ministry to arrange random testing, and our industry does not tolerate any operation under the influence of intoxicating substances,” Nana confirmed.
The coordinated push from both regulators and industry leaders comes ahead of an expected surge in student commuting, with stakeholders emphasizing that safer, more respectful public transport is a critical public priority as the new school term begins.