NST Leader: Road safety
MALAYSIA'S roads are some of the best in the region, but they are also the most dangerous, with published data pointing to one death every two hours. But the roads are not wholly to be blamed; the road users must be, especially the reckless and dangerous ones.
Of late, reckless drivers of heavy commercial vehicles, such as lorries and buses, have been making the bad situation worse. But the blameworthy aren't just the drivers.
The operators who employ such reckless drivers and allow vehicles that fail safety standards on the road are even more culpable. Many NST Leaders have pushed for a nationwide audit of operators of such heavy vehicles.
The Road Transport Department is starting one today, with the inspection of 300 lorry, 100 tour bus and 100 express bus operators. RTD director-general Datuk Aedy Fadly Ramli said the 500 are high-risk operators.
Maybe it's biting off only what it can chew. But it is a good start, though it should not stop at 500. Eventually, it should scale up to a countrywide audit covering all operators and their heavy vehicles. More importantly, RTD must act decisively if inspections reveal serious violations.
Aedy Fadly has promised strict action against operators found violating regulations or neglecting safety. Road users will be keeping a keen eye on what happens to operators who flout road safety regulations.
While it is regrettable that regulators and enforcement agencies are only springing into action after 15 students were killed when the tour bus they were travelling in collided with a multi-purpose vehicle, there is some consolation.
At least they are beginning to address the concerns long raised by the public and road safety experts. The Transport Ministry has also announced that speed limiters, which have been in force for new heavy vehicles since 2015, will become mandatory from Oct 1.
But experts warn these can be easily tampered with. In Singapore, the government has made it mandatory for operators of heavy vehicles to install tamper-free patches. In Singapore, the limit is 60kph for all heavy vehicles.
In Malaysia, operators report that the limit is 90kph for lorries and 100kph for buses, though we understand the ministry's new policy will set the limit for lorries and buses at 90kph.
But even at this speed, fully loaded lorries and buses may require at least 100m to make a safe stop, given the kinetic energy released when braking at such speed. Throw in a steep descent, like in Gerik, Perak, where the 15 students died, then disaster is a very likely outcome. A distance of 100m is a luxury on most days on Malaysian roads.
Reckless drivers behind heavily laden lorries and buses travelling at such speeds are tragedies in the making.
But road safety experts say speed limiters alone won't be enough. They must be integrated with the Global Positioning System (GPS). GPS-based speed limiters automatically reduce the engine power to the legal speed limit while making real-time tracking of speed possible by operators. But good old enforcement must continue.
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New Straits Times
9 hours ago
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NST Leader: Road safety
MALAYSIA'S roads are some of the best in the region, but they are also the most dangerous, with published data pointing to one death every two hours. But the roads are not wholly to be blamed; the road users must be, especially the reckless and dangerous ones. Of late, reckless drivers of heavy commercial vehicles, such as lorries and buses, have been making the bad situation worse. But the blameworthy aren't just the drivers. The operators who employ such reckless drivers and allow vehicles that fail safety standards on the road are even more culpable. Many NST Leaders have pushed for a nationwide audit of operators of such heavy vehicles. The Road Transport Department is starting one today, with the inspection of 300 lorry, 100 tour bus and 100 express bus operators. RTD director-general Datuk Aedy Fadly Ramli said the 500 are high-risk operators. Maybe it's biting off only what it can chew. But it is a good start, though it should not stop at 500. Eventually, it should scale up to a countrywide audit covering all operators and their heavy vehicles. More importantly, RTD must act decisively if inspections reveal serious violations. Aedy Fadly has promised strict action against operators found violating regulations or neglecting safety. Road users will be keeping a keen eye on what happens to operators who flout road safety regulations. While it is regrettable that regulators and enforcement agencies are only springing into action after 15 students were killed when the tour bus they were travelling in collided with a multi-purpose vehicle, there is some consolation. At least they are beginning to address the concerns long raised by the public and road safety experts. The Transport Ministry has also announced that speed limiters, which have been in force for new heavy vehicles since 2015, will become mandatory from Oct 1. But experts warn these can be easily tampered with. In Singapore, the government has made it mandatory for operators of heavy vehicles to install tamper-free patches. In Singapore, the limit is 60kph for all heavy vehicles. In Malaysia, operators report that the limit is 90kph for lorries and 100kph for buses, though we understand the ministry's new policy will set the limit for lorries and buses at 90kph. But even at this speed, fully loaded lorries and buses may require at least 100m to make a safe stop, given the kinetic energy released when braking at such speed. Throw in a steep descent, like in Gerik, Perak, where the 15 students died, then disaster is a very likely outcome. A distance of 100m is a luxury on most days on Malaysian roads. Reckless drivers behind heavily laden lorries and buses travelling at such speeds are tragedies in the making. But road safety experts say speed limiters alone won't be enough. They must be integrated with the Global Positioning System (GPS). GPS-based speed limiters automatically reduce the engine power to the legal speed limit while making real-time tracking of speed possible by operators. But good old enforcement must continue.
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SPM student gets licence after writing to PM
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RTD to audit 500 bus, lorry operators starting Monday
BUTTERWORTH: The Road Transport Department (RTD) will audit 500 public service vehicle (PSV) and goods commercial vehicle operators deemed high-risk under its special enforcement strategy, "RTD Inspection and Safety Audit" (JISA), starting Monday. RTD director-general Datuk Aedy Fadly Ramli said the identified high-risk operators include 300 lorries, 100 tour buses and 100 express buses. He said operators with outstanding summonses were identified through lists compiled by the RTD and the Land Public Transport Agency (Apad). He said the main focus of the special operation is to assess companies' compliance with safety aspects, vehicle maintenance, driver management, and records under the Road Transport Act 1987 and related regulations. "The enforcement of the JISA special operation involves inspection reports and safety audits focusing on compliance with the Industry Code of Practice (ICOP) concerning safety in the transport industry. "It also allows for the checking and resolution of outstanding summonses by vehicle owners and drivers, as well as compliance with vehicle technical specifications," he told reporters after the MyLesen B2 Driving Licence handover ceremony here today. Aedy Fadly said the audit was initiated following the bus crash that claimed the lives of 15 Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris (UPSI) students on June 9, along with several other recent accidents involving heavy vehicles. He said RTD would take strict action against any operators found violating regulations or neglecting safety, including issuing offence notices, suspending or revoking vocational driving licences (PSV/GDL), or operator licences. "This measure is part of RTD's ongoing efforts to enhance road safety and further strengthen the integrity of the national transport system," he added.
