Govt panel agrees to funding mechanism for road safety initiatives, says Loke

The Star

13-05-2025

PUTRAJAYA: The Cabinet Committee on Road Safety and Traffic Congestion has agreed in principle to establish a funding mechanism for road safety initiatives, says Transport Minister Anthony Loke.
He said the proposed mechanism involves allocating 50% of revenue collected from the Automated Awareness Safety System (Awas) summonses to the Transport Ministry for implementing targeted safety programmes.
"Among them are improving highway lighting in accident-prone hotspots, and this will be implemented immediately.
"We hope to have a more sustainable source of revenue to support mitigation efforts aimed at reducing road accident risks," he told a press conference after chairing the committee meeting here on Tuesday (May 13).
Loke also said road safety along the East-West Highway between Gerik and Jeli will be enhanced, particularly concerning wildlife crossings, following a recent heartbreaking incident involving a mother elephant seen refusing to leave her calf's side after it was killed in a collision with a lorry in the area.
"Among others, we will look into improving lighting in that stretch and introducing wildlife crossings as part of broader safety upgrades," he said.
He said wildlife protection will also be a key consideration in railway infrastructure projects.
"This will be addressed along the Gemas-Johor Bahru rail line, especially since there have been past incidents of elephants crossing railway tracks.
"This is something we take seriously, not only to protect wildlife but also human lives. Railway lines pose significant risks if high-speed trains collide with large animals such as elephants, and the consequences can be severe," he added. - Bernama