‘Compliance is non-negotiable to prevent accidents'
Malaysia Trucking Federation (MTF) president Datuk Ng Koong Sinn said there is no issue in complying with the requirements, especially tyre safety.
'Most new ones are already 16mm, which is well above the 1.6mm requirement by the government.
'Our members are alert as the matter was also circulated at least two weeks before the enforcement date,' he added.
Effective June 1, a tyre will only pass inspection if the entire tyre surface has a tread depth of at least 1.6mm.
The sideboards of dumper or tipper lorries, meanwhile, must not exceed either 762mm or 610mm, depending on the vehicle's gross vehicle weight.
Pan Malaysian Bus Operators Association (PMBOA) president Datuk Mohamad Ashfar Ali said the tyre regulations are fair.
'There is no excuse for buses to be on the road with bald tyres as fleet operators usually get good discounts from tyre suppliers.
'Operators may also have their own workshops for vehicle maintenance,' Mohamad Ashfar said.
'Here, they can visually spot if the tyre thread is thinning,' he added.
He said bus operators also have to comply with legal regulations under the authorities' Industrial Code of Practice.
'There is a safety, health and environment section, where drivers are required to make a checklist of the tyres, lights and condition of the vehicle before they start the journey.
'The logs are kept at all times, so whenever there is an audit by the authorities, all this can be presented,' he said.
MTF deputy president Ng Yoon Kin said strict enforcement is necessary to level the playing field in the logistics industry.
He said some operators overload their vehicles to boost profits, but consistent enforcement makes it harder for them to bend the law.
'It prevents them from slipping through the cracks and ensures fair competition for all operators,' he said.
Ng also raised concerns about operators who temporarily swap their sideboards to pass inspections.
He said all operators are required to declare their cargo when applying for a permit, with some later swapping to different ones to carry more goods than permitted.
'Some switch to compliant sideboards just for inspection, then swap them later after to carry more goods,' he said.
In December last year, an accident happened near Ayer Keroh, Melaka, with investigations revealing that the bus involved had collided with a detached lorry tyre in the middle lane.
Seven people died while 33 others were injured.
In March this year, five people, including a toddler and a young couple, were killed in a collision involving a lorry and three cars along the North-South Expressway.
According to the police, the front tyre of the lorry burst, causing the driver to lose control and crash into the opposite lane.
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