Kuala Lumpur  - Malaysian interstate bus drivers will soon be subject to urine tests conducted at bus terminals following allegations that many drivers are high on illegal substances during long-distance trips, a newspaper reported Monday.

The random tests are aimed at cutting down the number of road accidents and deaths during the coming Lunar New Year, where hundreds of thousands of people leave major cities to celebrate the festival in rural towns.

Markiman Kobiran, head of the Commercial Vehicle Licensing Board, said that a driver who fails the drug tests must be immediately replaced, adding that buses older than 12 years would not be allowed to travel distances of more than 300 kilometres.

He said these regulations would only be in place during the festive period.

Investigations have revealed that some bus drivers use illegal substances to keep alert during their long journeys during the festive period, as many are forced to be on the road for up to 18 hours a day to meet the demand of the mass exodus from cities.

Consumer groups and critics have slammed the government for failing to take action against errant bus drivers and companies following a spate of fatal accidents over the past few years.

In many of the incidents, the drivers were later found to have had been regularly fined for speeding, while the buses were more than 10 years old and unfit for long distance travelling. (dpa)