Dashcams, seatbelt sensors may be mandatory: Transport minister eyes stricter bus safety rules after deadly crash

Malay Mail

19 hours ago

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.