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The Star
19-05-2025
- Politics
- The Star
Alignment of JB's elevated ART system to be known by August
ISKANDAR PUTERI: The proposed final alignment for the Elevated Automated Rapid Transit (E-ART) system is expected to be known in three months, says Johor exco member Mohamad Fazli Mohamad Salleh ( pic ). The state works, transportation, infrastructure and communication committee chairman added that E-ART would cover three main corridors: Skudai, Tebrau and Iskandar Puteri. 'These corridors will be integrated at the main interchange station in Bukit Chagar to subsequently support the Rapid Transit Link (RTS),' he told the state assembly on Monday (May 19). ALSO READ: E-ART system proposal to enhance public transportation to be tabled late March, says Johor MB Datuk Ramlee Bohani (BN-Kempas) had asked about the government's measures to address worsening traffic congestion in Johor Baru. Fazli said the E-ART initiative was subject to the outcome of the request for proposal (RFP) assessment. 'The Public Private Partnership Unit (Ukas) has initiated the RFP process for the implementation of the system, aimed at completing the integrated transport system in Greater Johor Baru. 'The proposed final alignment is expected to be known as early as August, subject to the outcome of the evaluation,' he said. Fazli added that the implementation of the E-ART was expected to provide significant benefits in reducing traffic congestion, enhancing daily mobility, and supporting the state's low-carbon agenda. He also said the state government has drawn up a traffic dispersal plan by establishing the Greater JB Traffic Dispersal Special Committee. ALSO READ: 'Aye' to Johor Baru transport network Fazli added that this state-level special committee was formed to identify congestion hotspots and draft traffic dispersal plans. 'So far, 77 areas of congestion have been identified, and more than 20 locations have already seen action taken. 'This committee has also proposed measures such as installing lane barriers, traffic info boards, and enforcement during peak hours, which have been presented in the Cabinet Committee Meeting on Congestion and Safety. 'One of the hotspots where a dispersal plan has been implemented is the closure of Jalan Ledang heading to the Skudai Highway (exit from Taman Johor to Skudai), which has successfully reduced traffic pressure in the area,' he said. ALSO READ: Johor hopes to kick off elevated ART project in third quarter of 2025, says exco man Fazli added that the government was also reviewing the need to increase road capacity, including road widening, the construction of new bypasses, and regular maintenance. He said this was to ensure that the traffic system can accommodate the growing number of vehicles and the rapid development in the Johor Baru area. 'This plan includes the construction of new roads, widening of existing roads, and a more modern traffic management system to support future economic growth and traffic density. 'Therefore, the state government has submitted a list of 18 proposed projects worth nearly RM1bil to the consultants for the Highway Network Development Plan (HNDP) study, to evaluate which projects should be prioritised for approval,' he added.


Borneo Post
13-05-2025
- Business
- Borneo Post
DPM Zahid: Lorry shouldn't have malfunctioned if Puspakom checks adhered to
Police personnel working to clear the scene of the accident, which claim the nine lives of Federal Reserve Unit personnel in Teluk Intan, Perak. – Bernama photo PUTRAJAYA (May 13): The fatal crash involving members of the Federal Reserve Unit (FRU) in Teluk Intan, Perak, could have been avoided if the stone-carrying lorry involved had adhered to stringent inspections by the Computerised Vehicle Inspection Centre (Puspakom). Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said preliminary investigations revealed that the lorry suffered a malfunction that caused its steering system to fail, a situation that would not have occurred if the vehicle had been regularly inspected. 'This should not have happened if the vehicle had undergone a Puspakom inspection. We should not only place the responsibility on the lorry driver, but the company owner must also be held accountable,' he said. Ahmad Zahid was speaking at a press conference after chairing the Cabinet Committee Meeting on Road Safety and Traffic Congestion (JK-MKKJR) here today. At 8.50 am today, nine FRU personnel were killed and others injured after the truck they were travelling in collided with a lorry carrying stones on Jalan Chikus–Sungai Lampam. Meanwhile, Ahmad Zahid said the government would immediately install street lights along several highway stretches identified as fatal accident blackspots. He said the matter was agreed upon at today's Cabinet Committee Meeting on Road Safety and Traffic Congestion (JK-MKKJR). In addition, he said the committee also agreed that drastic measures should be taken to reduce traffic congestion in Malaysia caused by the high number of vehicles. 'The fact we are facing is that Malaysia has 34.1 million residents but 38.7 million vehicles… this means the number of vehicles exceeds the number of residents, and this may have contributed to road congestion and road accidents,' he said. Ahmad Zahid said among the measures to be taken was the addition of dedicated bus lanes in the Klang Valley, Kuala Lumpur, Penang and Johor Bahru. 'This addition of bus lanes will not only encourage the use of public transport but will also reduce the number of vehicles passing through congested areas,' he said. – Bernama ahmad zahid hamidi fatal accident Federal Reserve Unit lead puspakom