JPJ personnel chased the bus for about 10 minutes before managing to stop it in Batu Maung, Bernama reported.

Penang JPJ director Zulkifly Ismail said the 39-year-old driver, who was on his way back to the depot when the incident happened, did not have a public service vehicle (PSV) licence. He added that the bus did not have a valid road tax or insurance too.

According to Zulkifly, the driver also had 10 outstanding summonses for similar offences.

“The driver claimed his employer told him not to stop, so he decided to flee. Fortunately, there were no passengers on board at the time,” he was quoted as saying at the Penang JPJ headquarters in Seberang Jaya today.

Zulkifly said the operation, which began at 5am, also found several bus operators hiring foreign nationals as factory bus drivers, an offence under the Land Public Transport Act 2010.

During the operation, 215 buses were inspected, with 26 factory buses being issued summonses for several offences. JPJ issued 81 summonses and seized 20 buses.

Zulkifly reminded factory bus operators to check their drivers’ documents, including their driving and PSV licences, before hiring them.