SPAD denies handcuffs taxi drivers

ALOR SETAR - Land Public Transport Commission (SPAD) Northern Region denied taxi drivers were arrested and handcuffed in an operation in Sungai Petani, recently.

Pictures of people handcuffed together SPAD seized car drivers also became viral on social media over the past week.

Its enforcement chief, Major (Retd) Ahmad Zaidi Shuaib said the allegations were not true and were made by certain parties.

"The picture that went viral on social taxi drivers allegedly handcuffed and their cars were seized in Sungai Petani is not true at all.

"Instead they were not handcuffed taxi drivers but touts who were detained in an operation in Terminal Larkin, Johor," he told The Star yesterday.

According to him, some of the touts had to be handcuffed for allegedly trying to act violently and injure SPAD enforcement officers on duty.

"Error touts is classified as a crime and may be arrested without a warrant and conducted in accordance with the law relating to criminal procedure in force.

"Very disappointing in the government's efforts to transform the country's public transport industry, touts symptoms are still widespread, especially in the main terminals across the country," he said.

Obviously, most of the touts are often found to blackmail passengers at the ticket counter, especially in the festive season.

"Passengers who buy and take the bus from ticket touts usually does not reach its destination at the proper time.

"This caused the bus ride is always stopped in an area not included in the itinerary bus, resulting in delays of between one and two hours away," he said.

He added that in the process of implementing Section 205 (2) of the Land Public Transport Act (APAD) handcuff action is required to bring the person arrested without a warrant to the nearest police station for legal action.

The same action can also be made in accordance with Section 217 (1) of APAD to those who tried to conspire in the commission of an offense.

It is reinforced by Section 15 of the Criminal Procedure Code (CPC) of the person to be arrested with violence against or try to escape from arrest, it can be cuffed.

"The purpose of touts handcuffed as a preventive measure that may lead to injury to enforcement officers, eliminating touts and teaching activities so that they stop this irresponsible activity," he said.