Strict rules, safe roads
PETALING JAYA: More than 600 commercial vehicles have failed tyre inspections at Puspakom since the Road Transport Department (JPJ) tightened the inspection requirements beginning this month.
'Between June 1 and 10, 658 out of 49,570 commercial vehicles, or 1.3%, failed the tyre inspection, while 43 commercial vehicles (mainly tipper trucks) failed the sideboard inspection,' said the national vehicle inspection company.
Effective June 1, a tyre will only pass inspection if the entire tyre surface has a tread depth of at least 1.6mm.
Up to May 31, a tyre could pass if at least 75% of its tread area has the stipulated minimum tread depth requirement.
The failure rate attributable to tyres was 1.1% for all of May.
For dumper or tipper lorries, their sideboards must not exceed either 762mm or 610mm, depending on the vehicle's gross vehicle weight, and documentation on the type of load they are allowed to transport must be presented during inspection – a practice that was not required previously.
On the latest passing rate, Puspakom said in a written response to The Star that heavy vehicle owners and operators should not focus solely on passing inspections, but also prioritise safety and roadworthiness by complying with standards set under the Road Transport Act.
Nonetheless, Puspakom noted that this initial comparison may not be truly reflective of the situation on the ground, as the June data covers only the first 10 days after the ruling came into effect.
ALSO READ: Loose lorry tyre caused deadly pile-up that claimed seven lives in Melaka
'Adhering to these standards not only helps safeguard the safety of vehicle owners and other road users, but also contributes significantly to reducing road accidents,' said Puspakom.
Heavy vehicles came into focus recently with several high-profile crashes, such as the May 13 collision between a tipper truck and a police lorry that resulted in the deaths of nine Federal Reserve Unit personnel, as well as the June 9 bus crash that killed 15 undergraduates. Both tragedies took place in Perak.
On a separate matter, Puspakom said failure rates (from all causes) of inspected vehicles that saw a bump in January and February have now moderated.
'The failure rate for inspection at our centres now average 23%, against a high of 39% in the first two months of the year.
'This reflects a more cautious and careful approach by vehicle owners, which is positive news for us,' said Puspakom chief executive officer Mahmood Razak Bahman in the same statement.
He added that this is likely due to vehicle owners exercising greater caution by ensuring their vehicles are better maintained.
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