Latest news with #JPJ
The Sun
10 hours ago
- The Sun
Disguised JPJ officer conducts surprise bus spot check on bus passengers not wearing seat belts
BUCKLE up, bus passengers! The Road Transport Department (JPJ) is cracking down on those who fail to wear seat belts on buses. In a post on Threads, Syafiq Syahan alerted the public about JPJ officers disguised as passengers conducting surprise spot checks to catch offenders. This enforcement follows the mandatory seat belt rule on buses introduced on 1 July, aimed at enhancing passenger safety. The move comes in the wake of a tragic accident on 9 June in Gerik, Perak, which claimed the lives of 15 Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris (UPSI) students. Syafiq, who was on a bus earlier last morning, shared his experience: 'Just as we were approaching the bus station, a man who appeared to be a passenger suddenly stood up and started checking the ICs of those not wearing seat belts. Luckily, I had mine on, otherwise I'd be RM300 poorer from the fine.' Many netizens welcomed the initiative, emphasising how quick and easy it is to buckle up and how it could save lives. Noraini Sapian noted, 'It takes less than five seconds to clip on your seat belt. Our neighbouring countries have enforced this for years, complete with warning sounds and CCTV monitoring.' Imi Wanis added that countries like the United Kingdom and China have long had similar regulations. One user shared how she wore her seat belt while travelling back to her hometown from Shah Alam, allowing her to relax and doze off peacefully, praising the driver for driving safely throughout the journey. Hafiz Jamaluddin also praised his bus driver for encouraging seat belt use. 'The driver announced to wear seat belts, so we all complied immediately. I initially thought it was a routine roadblock, but it was a spot check on the spot.' While many agree on the importance of seat belt compliance, some also highlight the crucial role of safe driving and proper licensing for bus drivers. Yesterday, JPJ director-general Datuk Aedy Fadly Ramli revealed that 1,108 summonses were issued to passengers, 62 to drivers, and 24 cases involving buses without installed seat belts. 'Overall, we are seeing an increase in compliance, and passengers are beginning to better understand the importance of wearing seat belts,' he said.
The Star
10 hours ago
- Automotive
- The Star
DBKL received more than 1,000 complaints on abandoned vehicles from January to May, says Dr Zaliha
KUALA LUMPUR: Complaints involving abandoned dilapidated vehicles in public parking spaces are among grouses received by the Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL), says Datuk Seri Dr Zaliha Mustafa ( pic ). The Minister in the Prime Minister's Department (Federal Territories) said the derelict vehicles have not only become an eye sore affecting the city's image but also impacts cleanliness, safety, and public comfort. "Between January and May this year, DBKL received a total of 1,009 public complains related to abandoned or dilapidated vehicles. "Of this, 992 complains were successfully resolved with remaining 17 cases still under investigation for further action," she said when replying to a question raised by Fong Kui Lun (PH-Bukit Bintang) in the Dewan Rakyat on Thursday ( (July 24). She said that DBKL's observations showed that this issue is becoming more urgent as more vehicles are being left unclaimed. "This is especially common in cases where the owner has passed away without any acting heirs, vehicles left unclaimed at workshops, or vehicles kept by certain individuals for sentimental reasons," she said. She added that these abandoned vehicles were located in all 11 parliamentary constituencies in Kuala Lumpur, with the highest number recorded in Segambut with 163 complains. This was followed by Seputeh (143) and Setiawangsa (113) and the Bukit Bintang area with 81 complaints, she added. Dr Zaliha DBKL's enforcement department is tasked with dealing with these vehicles by transporting them to three designated depots specifically established for storage and disposal purposes. The combined capacity of all three depots is 3,100 vehicles, and as of now, 1,945 vehicles have been placed in them, she added. She said that 1,504 vehicles are stored at the Taman Connaught Depot, which has a capacity of 1,600 vehicles. She said the depot serves as the main centre for DBKL's management of dilapidated vehicles. Among the improvements currently being undertaken by DBKL is to speed up the disposal process for unclaimed vehicles through gazetting. However, Dr Zaliha said that the gazetting also requires some time to ensure the rightful owner or heir will not reclaim the vehicle before disposal. She said that the Road Transport Department (JPJ) had also introduced a new facility called the e-Dereg system, which allows vehicle owners to cancel their vehicle registration online through JPJ's digital platform. She said that the vehicle can then be sent to an Authorized Automotive Treatment Facility (AATF) which will bear the cost of towing and disposal.
CNA
10 hours ago
- Automotive
- CNA
Buckle up: Nearly 1,200 bus drivers, passengers fined under Malaysia's new seat belt law
KUALA LUMPUR: Nearly 1,200 bus drivers and passengers have been fined under Malaysia's new seatbelt law, which kicked in on Jul 1, authorities said. Speaking to reporters on Wednesday (Jul 23), Aedy Fadly Ramli, director-general at the Road Transport Department (JPJ) said a total of 1,194 compound fines had been issued. The majority of fines, 1,108 summonses or nearly 90 per cent, were issued to passengers while 62 fines were issued to drivers who were caught not wearing seat belts, Aedy said, adding that the remaining 23 involved cases of failure to install seat belts on buses. Under the new law, announced by JPJ on Jun 29, all passengers and drivers onboard express and tour buses must wear seat belts or face fines of up to RM300 (US$71). Those fined said they were unaware that seat belts were now mandatory or enforcement of the regulation had begun. 'This excuse is unacceptable as checks revealed that most bus operators and drivers have either made announcements or displayed notices reminding passengers to wear seat belts,' Aedy said. He also added that foreigners and tourists would not be exempted from the law. Calls for stricter laws to make seatbelts mandatory came in the wake of a crash last month in Perak, which killed 15 university students. Aedy noted there had been an 'overall increase in compliance' since new enforcement started on Jul 1. Bus operators had also been taking proactive steps to remind passengers to belt up, he said. 'Passengers are beginning to better understand the importance of wearing seat belts while on buses,' Aedy said.
The Star
17 hours ago
- Automotive
- The Star
Wiring cert now a must for buses
Safety boost required after electrocution incident KLANG: All buses registered next year will need to produce a certificate as proof that additional wiring work on the vehicle complies with requirements of the Energy Commission. Road Transport Department (JPJ) director-general Datuk Aedy Fadly Ramli said the Internal Work Sheet, or IWS(e), for extra wiring installation is meant to enhance electrical safety in vehicles. The new guideline, expected to impact more than 65,000 buses already on the road, came following the fatal electrocution of a passenger on an express bus in Butterworth on Nov 1 last year. Following the incident, the Land Public Transport Agency (Apad) ordered an immediate suspension of the use of onboard sockets. 'For the record, joint investigations by the special task force consisting of JPJ, Apad, the Malaysian Institute of Road Safety Research, Sirim and the Energy Commission found that there was an error in the electrical connection of the bus that involved alternating current, with the unsupervised work conducted by a non-competent person,' said Aedy in referring to last November's incident. The IWS(e) will be proof that any additional electrical work on top of the original factory-fitted wiring complies with the latest technical specifications. Three major components will be examined – the overall quality of the work, the electrical fault protection and grounding (earthing), as well as testing to ensure that all equipment functions correctly. In this context, additional wiring work refers to anything that supplies alternating current (AC) exceeding 50V through the use of an inverter to power equipment such as sockets, water heaters or entertainment systems. Vehicle owners typically add these additions or modifications for passenger convenience, as they are not part of the factory-fitted or original circuitry. 'The preparation of the document can only be done by an electrician registered with JPJ. 'The person must have a minimum qualification of PW2, an Energy Commission certification for single-phase wiring, and a work competency test,' Aedy told reporters yesterday. He also said that any additional wiring work must be performed only in workshops registered with JPJ. This new ruling to furnish the IWS(e) document will also form part of the requirement when buses, including locally assembled ones, are sent for scheduled inspections at Puspakom, beginning next year. 'For vehicles registered before Jan 1, 2026, a grace period of one year (up to Jan 1, 2027) will be given to enable owners to furnish the necessary documentation that the additional wiring work has been performed to specifications. 'Vehicle owners should take note that any form of additional wiring work or modifications must be conducted under the supervision of competent persons such as electrical engineers registered with JPJ. 'This is a significant technical enhancement for the country's automotive sector, and all coach builders should comply ahead of the deadline,' said Aedy, who added that engagement sessions will be held soon with industry players before the new requirement is gazetted by Dec 31.
Focus Malaysia
a day ago
- Politics
- Focus Malaysia
Changes for the better are woefully slow in Malaysia
A FORUM titled 'Public Roads Don't Belong to Bicycle Gangs' was held at Pantai Dalam in Kuala Lumpur last Sunday. It was moderated by former health minister Khairy Jamaluddin. The panel included Bukit Aman Traffic Investigations and Enforcement Department deputy director of enforcement Khairul Azhar Ismail, and Road Transport Department (JPJ) assistant director (operations) Mohd Alifarihan Abdullah. Alifarihan disclosed that current regulations only require buses to be equipped with a GPS system, and JPJ is considering making dashboard cameras (dashcams) compulsory in all public transport vehicles. He said, 'The licences and conditions for public vehicles are only GPS and is why having dashcams compulsory is a good idea, for now it's only mandatory to have a GPS.' The proposal was made after a viral video showed an MRT feeder bus driving too close to a group of cyclists riding abreast on a narrow road, sparking a brief confrontation. One of the cyclists involved raised the issue during the forum and Rapid KL has since launched an internal investigation into the incident. More than 10 years ago, I had already proposed that the public be invited to install quality dashcams to record traffic violations and submit evidence to the authorities and be paid based on fines collected, which was explained in 'All eyes on road safety' published on Nov 9, 2015. Since then, I have written many similar published proposals. For example, when promoting e-hailing services for motorcycles to be introduced in Malaysia, I advocated fitting video cameras in front of crash helmets and at the rear of e-hailing bikes to record transgressions of other vehicles. I have also repeatedly suggested that RapidKL buses be fitted with dashcams and rear facing cameras to record thousands of traffic violations daily, including vehicles parked at bus stops and illegally near junctions, stopping at yellow boxes and jumping red lights, especially motorcycles. But neither the authorities nor RapidKL had followed up with my proposals, including the one I made in 2003 when I proposed in a road safety forum and published a full-page in a broadsheet newspaper to appoint many concessionaires to assist in recording traffic offences nationwide. In this new millennium, it would be a big miscalculation for any country to undergo slow changes. For example, Japan rose from the ashes of the Second World War by copying Western products and making them cheaply, and everyone then used to laugh at inferior Japanese products. But they practised Kaizen by continuously making incremental, ongoing improvements in work procedures, processes and products. Long before the end of the last millennium, Japanese products were regarded as high quality at reasonable prices and sought after around the world. China too started manufacturing by churning out inferior products as cheap as possible. But later, they did not go through the slow improvement to reach Japanese standard. With no legacy to protect, they went all in to develop new technologies and reinvent existing products. This was made possible because China produced the largest number and highest percentage of university graduates in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). Our country too could be transformed if our sharp minds are not prevented from getting things done. ‒ July 23, 2025 YS Chan is master trainer for Mesra Malaysia and Travel and Tours Enhancement Course and an Asean Tourism Master Trainer. He is also a tourism and transport business consultant. The views expressed are solely of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Focus Malaysia. Main image:
