The driver of an express bus that crashed at Km272.8 of the North-South Expressway early today and left 10 passengers dead has admitted to falling asleep at the wheel.

"He fell asleep at the wheel but breathalyser and drug tests conducted on him proved negative," Ipoh traffic police chief DSP Mohd Rodzi Rejab told reporters in Ipoh today.

The double-decker Sani Express bus skidded and hit the road divider as it was heading north, about 8km after the Ipoh Selatan toll plaza at 1am.

The victims had been seated on the lower tier of the bus. The two drivers and the 36 other passengers were unhurt.

It is understood that the driver had taken over the wheel after the bus had stopped at the Simpang Pulai lay-by just before Ipoh.

Mohd Rodzi said the driver was supposed to take over the wheel at the Sungai Perak Rest and Service Area, Kuala Kangsar further ahead.

He declined to comment on whether the driver had any previous records, but said the express bus records were clean.

The police have remanded the driver until Wednesday to facilitate investigations under Section 41 (1) of the Road Transport Act 1987.

In an immediate reaction to the tragedy, BN Perak Menteri Besar Dr Zambry Abdul Kadir has urged the federal government to ban express buses from travelling at night.

"The measure could help reduce accidents involving express buses. The lives of passengers are more important," he said.

No plans to suspend bus licence

Meanwhile the Commercial Vehicle Licensing Board (CVLB) has no plans to temporarily suspend the operations of the Sani Express bus service.

CVLB director Naimah Ramli said the bus company, however, had been directed to take measures to enhance the safety level for passengers.

"It's probably difficult to ask the company to suspend operations because of the holiday season as passengers had already bought their bus tickets.

"However, I have already spoken to the owner of the company and directed that he improved the safety level of its bus passengers," she told Bernama.

Naimah said the fatal accident involving the express bus would be discussed at the committee meeting on fatal accidents involving the various technical agencies.

The express bus company concerned will also be asked to submit their report (on the fatal accident today)," she said.

Naimah said the Sani Express bus concerned was equipped with the global positioning system (GPS).

Bus company to compensation families of victims

Sani Express has expressed its eadiness to compensate families of the victims.

Its chief executive officer Abu Bakar Mohammad said the company would provide an allocation to aid the families and would be contacting them soon.

He said the double-decker bus was in good condition when it left Klang for Kuala Perlis with 48 passengers at 9pm last night.

"The bus was well-maintained and its speed limiter was set at 97km per hour and as such, it could not exceed the maximum speed," he said.

According to Abu Bakar, the bus data recorder showed that it was travelling at 91km per hour when the accident occurred.

- Bernama