Driver blames Waze after tour bus wedges under bridge with 30 aboard in Butterworth

Last night, a tour bus carrying over 30 passengers from Johor became stuck under a low-clearance flyover in Butterworth, Penang after the driver allegedly followed directions from the Waze navigation app. The incident left nearly half of the bus lodged beneath the bridge, shattering several windows and scattering glass shards across the road.

Two passengers sustained minor injuries from the flying glass but are currently in stable condition, according to the local newspaper Berita Harian. The tour bus was en route to a nearby hotel before continuing its journey to Kedah.

The driver claimed he was transporting the group to the hotel and had planned to continue to Kedah. He explained that he had relied on Waze, which had routed him down the road without taking into account the height limit of the overhead bridge. "I heard a loud crashing noise while driving under the flyover. A few seconds later, the bus windows shattered and glass fragments were scattered everywhere," he recounted.

The driver admitted that while he had visited Butterworth several times before, this was the first time he had used Waze to navigate through the Taman Bagan area. Poor lighting and his lack of familiarity with the neighborhood led him to depend solely on the app’s directions, he said.

Upon inspection of the scene, a height clearance sign of 2.6 meters was found posted before the flyover, alongside a warning sign alerting motorists to frequent collisions in the area.