PUTRAJAYA, Malaysia: Express bus drivers who fail random urine tests to be carried out at bus terminals will not be allowed to drive. An immediate replacement must be found.

Commercial Vehicle Licensing Board (CVLB) chairman Datuk Markiman Kobiran said the ruling includes the drivers of extra festive season buses.

The testing will be done by the CVLB, Road Transport Department, the police narcotics division and Puspakom as part of an exercise to reduce accidents during the Chinese New Year.

Markiman also said the board would only give out additional bus permits to operators who did not have outstanding summonses.-- The New Straits Times/Asia News Network

Only buses no more than 12 years old could be used for long distances for the festive season, he added. They covered express and stage buses as well as chartered, school and factory buses.

Those 12 to 15 years old could only be used for destinations of up to 300km away.