Mandatory speed limiters for heavy vehicles to improve road safety
KUALA LUMPUR: The government is drafting a policy that includes the mandatory use of speed limiters for heavy vehicles, as part of efforts to enhance road safety.
Transport Minister Anthony Loke said the policy is being thoroughly reviewed to ensure there are no loopholes or opportunities for manipulation once implemented.
'The government will not relent in strengthening road safety measures.
'We are committed to protecting road users, especially from the risks posed by reckless drivers and heavy vehicles that fail to meet safety standards,' he said in a Facebook post.
His statement comes in the wake of a tragic accident yesterday that claimed the lives of 15 students from Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris (UPSI). A chartered bus travelling from Jertih, Terengganu to Tanjung Malim, Perak overturned after colliding with a multi-purpose vehicle (MPV) on the East-West Highway near Tasik Banding, Gerik.
The crash also left 33 others injured, including the bus driver and attendant, as well as the driver and three passengers of the Perodua Alza involved in the incident.
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The Star
24 minutes ago
- The Star
Gerik bus crash: 'I'm sorry, the brakes stopped working' says driver.
PETALING JAYA: Lying on a hospital bed, Mohd Amirul Fadhil Zulkifle's voice cracked as he tearfully apologised. "I'm so sorry to all the students and families involved. The brakes suddenly stopped working," said the 39-year-old bus driver, according to Sinar Harian. His words carried the weight of the tragic deaths of 15 Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris (UPSI) students when the chartered bus he was driving from Jertih to Tanjung Malim overturned after colliding with a Perodua Alza on the East-West Highway near Tasik Banding, Gerik between 12.30am and 1am on Monday (June 9). The accident had also left 31 others injured, including Amirul, his assistant, and the driver and three passengers of the MPV. Amirul said he did not know how to face the victims' families. "If there are parties who want to take legal action, what else can I say? I tried various things, but because the air (for the air brakes) was empty, everything stopped working, including the handbrake, and the gear couldn't be changed. "I tried to avoid other vehicles, and as far as I can remember, I avoided four vehicles, including a lorry, before the accident," he said. Amirul, who has been driving buses since 2016, is currently being treated at Taiping Hospital. He said he had tried his best to prevent the situation from getting worse. "Because the accident happened on a bend, I couldn't do anything. I shouted to the students to be ready and be alert as soon as I realised the brakes were not working. "The students sitting at the front heard my instructions, but those in the back were mostly asleep. Maybe the screaming made them think I was angry. "I wasn't going as fast as claimed by many because I am familiar with the Jeli-Gerik route, especially the downhill section where it happened," he said while holding back tears. He said the accident caused him to lose consciousness for a moment before waking back up and calling to the students to get out through the broken windshield of the bus. Amirul said he crawled out of the bus and broke down in tears when he saw the condition of the students. "This is the first time I have been involved in an accident that has claimed a life, and as bus driver of course, I feel guilty," said the man from Besut, Terengganu.
The Sun
24 minutes ago
- The Sun
Safety, improvement of East-West Highway to be brought to cabinet
GEORGE TOWN: The Transport Ministry will raise safety issues and discuss immediate measures that can be taken to improve the East-West Highway (JRTB) at the Cabinet meeting tomorrow. Transport Minister Anthony Loke Siew Fook said his ministry would also work with several other ministries to investigate and take immediate steps for improvements on the route, due to bus tragedy that claimed 15 lives yesterday. 'In terms of road safety (including at JRTB), we are taking it seriously and we need to work together with various other ministries, and I will raise the matter in the Cabinet Meeting tomorrow morning so that we can see what immediate steps can be taken to improve it. 'In particular, the safety issue at JRTB is something that is of concern to us, the first of which is not only the roadblocks but also in terms of the road conditions and also the lack of street lights at night,' he told reporters after opening CruiseWorld Malaysia 2025 here today. Yesterday, the nation was shocked by the accident that claimed the lives of 15 students of Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris (UPSI) when a chartered bus from Jertih, Terengganu to Tanjung Malim, Perak overturned after being involved in an accident with a multi-purpose vehicle (MPV) on Jalan Raya Timur-Barat near Tasik Banding, Gerik. Regarding the condition of the road infrastructure on the route involved in the accident, especially regarding the iron roadblocks which are said to be quite old, he said The government has taken note of the roadblock and lighting aspects, so the Ministry of Transport will install solar street lights to overcome the lighting problem at night on the route. ''In terms of specifications and further actions regarding roadblocks, that is under the Ministry of Works, but the road safety aspect requires cooperation between various ministries,'' he said. Commenting further, Loke said he himself would visit the accident site involving a bus carrying UPSI students on Thursday with the relevant parties to assess the situation and the need for immediate action personally. He said the Royal Malaysian Police (PDRM) and the Road Transport Department (RTD) were conducting a detailed investigation into the accident while the Land Public Transport Agency (APAD) had issued a show cause letter to the bus company involved, in addition to requesting Global Positioning System (GPS) records to determine whether the bus was speeding during the incident. ''When an accident occurs, the police will conduct a detailed investigation in terms of criminal elements, while the RTD will look at technical matters and also a safety audit of the company and that is what we did yesterday at the location incident. ''We need various information, especially the RTD report and also the GPS record of the bus. We want to know whether it was speeding or not, we will also conduct an audit of the company including the background of the bus driver,'' he said. Loke also explained that his ministry refused to draw any early conclusions and left it entirely to the police and RTD to complete the investigation in detail and fairly.
Malay Mail
25 minutes ago
- Malay Mail
Dashcams, seatbelt sensors may be mandatory: Transport minister eyes stricter bus safety rules after deadly crash
GEORGE TOWN, June 10 — The Transport Ministry is looking into making dashboard cameras (dashcams) compulsory in heavy vehicles as part of efforts to boost road safety. Its Minister Anthony Loke Siew Fook said stricter enforcement measures, including onboard video cameras and safeguards for speed limiters, is needed as the devices have often been found to be tampered with, after regular checks have been made. 'Video cameras are not compulsory now but we need to look into it to improve safety,' he said at a press conference after officiating CruiseWorld Malaysia 2025 here today. Loke said while speed limiters are already mandatory in heavy vehicles, they are often tampered with after passing inspections. 'The device is installed in heavy vehicles to prevent them from speeding above the speed limit but what we are seeing is that the devices are often tampered with,' he said. He said operators would often reinstall or reset speed limiters just to clear the Computerised Vehicle Inspection Centre (Puspakom), then disable them later so the vehicles can exceed speed limits. He said more robust enforcement is needed to prevent such manipulation. Loke said the chartered bus that crashed and killed 15 Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris (UPSI) students did not have seatbelts for its passengers. 'However, in the East-West Highway incident, the bus was built in 2013, it is 12 years old, so it does not have seatbelts,' he said. He said seatbelts have been mandatory in buses built from 2020 onwards. 'We have laws that make it mandatory to install and wear seatbelts but the challenge is to ensure compliance,' he added. Loke said the ministry may consider requiring seatbelt sensors that prevent buses from moving unless passengers buckle up. 'In cars, if we don't wear the seatbelts, it will beep. So we can look into making it mandatory that the driver ensures all passengers put their seatbelts on or the bus will not move,' he said. He emphasised that safety laws are already in place, but the real issue is enforcement and compliance by operators and passengers. Loke said new regulations often face resistance from industry players who cite rising costs. 'We don't want that when we make something mandatory, the operators complain that they are affected, that the new measures are a burden and incurred additional costs,' he said. He said safety measures are not meant to burden but to save lives. 'So, for example, the wearing of seatbelts in new buses is already mandatory but there was lack of compliance by the operators and passengers,' he said. He said his ministry will review ways to improve enforcement and ensure existing safety rules are followed.
