A bus driver has won praise from passengers after stepping off his vehicle in the rain to confront several motorists who were allegedly using a dedicated bus lane near the Johor Bahru Customs, Immigration and Quarantine Complex.
The incident was captured on video and shared on Instagram on Aug 20. The footage quickly attracted attention online, reportedly recording hundreds of thousands of views within a few days.
The video showed the bus unable to proceed smoothly because several cars had entered or stopped along the lane reserved for buses. Instead of remaining behind the vehicles, the driver got off his bus and approached the motorists.
Driver Confronts Cars Blocking Bus Lane
Wearing a neck pillow and standing in the rain, the driver was seen walking towards the cars before knocking on the window of one motorist.
The vehicle he approached appeared to have a Singapore registration plate. The passengers filming the incident could be heard praising the driver’s actions while he spoke to the motorists.
One passenger described the driver as being like a traffic police officer, while another expressed admiration for his willingness to step off the bus and confront the vehicles personally.
The driver’s actions appeared to receive strong support from those on board. When he eventually returned to the bus, passengers broke into applause.
The video subsequently cut to another scene showing a Malaysian police officer approaching a car believed to have been using the dedicated bus lane.
Malaysia Police Seen Approaching Motorist
According to the person filming the footage, the motorist was seen handing over a passport to the police officer before being instructed to move on.
The incident highlights the frustration that can arise around the busy customs area, where traffic congestion and long queues are common, particularly during peak periods and weekends.
Dedicated bus lanes are intended to allow public transport vehicles to move through congested areas without being obstructed by general traffic. When private vehicles occupy these lanes, buses can be forced to slow down, stop or manoeuvre around them.
For passengers travelling between Singapore and Johor Bahru, even small delays can become significant when traffic is already heavy around the border.
Drivers Face Consequences For Queue Cutting
The issue also comes amid longstanding concerns over motorists attempting to bypass traffic queues around Singapore’s checkpoints.
Singapore’s Immigration and Checkpoints Authority has previously stated that motorists caught attempting to cut queues may be turned away and required to re-join the queue.
While the incident in the video took place on the Malaysian side of the border, the reaction from passengers demonstrates how strongly motorists blocking designated lanes can be viewed by public transport users.
For the bus passengers in this case, the driver’s decision to stand up for his lane appeared to earn him considerable respect.
Rather than simply waiting behind the obstructing vehicles, he chose to confront the situation directly — a move that ultimately earned him a round of applause when he returned to the bus.