Latest news with #breakdowns
Free Malaysia Today
7 days ago
- Automotive
- Free Malaysia Today
Sarawak's plan for hydrogen-powered buses comes under fire
Pending assemblyman Violet Yong says the three hydrogen buses in use began to show signs of strain shortly after they started operating in 2020. (Bernama pic) KUCHING : Sarawak's experiment with hydrogen power has come under scrutiny by the opposition, with the DAP questioning its viability in view of frequent breakdowns of its first three buses powered by hydrogen fuel cells. Pending assemblyman Violet Yong said the three buses now in service have been breaking down constantly after only five years. The lifespan of a hydrogen-powered vehicle is typically about 20 years — similar to that for its petrol and diesel-driven cousins. The three buses now in service, each costing RM2.2 million, are part of a trial to test the viability of using vehicles powered by clean energy to serve as feeder buses in the state capital. Violet Yong. Yong claimed that the three hydrogen-powered buses were, in fact, already showing signs of strain immediately after they began operating in 2020. 'The three buses keep breaking down. I have the records. Every time there is a fault, the service is suspended. But the breakdowns keep happening,' she told FMT in an interview. Given that it takes several days, sometimes even more than a week, to repair the buses, it is doubtful that the system is reliable, she added. In October 2024, Sarawak Metro Sdn Bhd awarded a contract worth RM122 million for the supply of 55 hydrogen-powered buses to a joint-venture company comprising SKS Coachbuilders Sdn Bhd and Sun Credit Sdn Bhd. Sarawak Metro is a state-owned company tasked with developing the state's public transport assets. Costly project Yong said Sarawak premier Abang Johari Openg had cited significant savings when he turned his focus to the Autonomous Rapid Transit (ART) system from an earlier initiative for a RM10.8 billion light rapid transit (LRT) project in response to the DAP's criticisms over its high cost. She said the ART system is equally costly given that the production of green hydrogen is still not fully developed in Malaysia. She pointed out that using hydrogen-powered vehicles is still in its infancy in Sarawak as shown by the minimal usage of hydrogen refuelling stations set up by Sarawak Energy Bhd. Yong said Sarawak could also learn from the experience of other countries. 'Japan, South Korea, and Indonesia have tried hydrogen buses and given up. They're not easy to maintain,' she said. She said key details about the ART project remained unclear, such as the technology it is using, or how the state government plans to encourage people to make the transition away from using their cars. She said even basic information such as fares, access to stations, or supporting infrastructure to encourage people to take ART buses, is still not clear. 'In Singapore, you have shaded walkways leading to MRT stations. In Sarawak, we don't even have routes for the ART project yet. Why are you rushing to order 55 hydrogen buses?' Yong also wondered if Sarawak's population justified such a massive investment. For instance, the biggest urban centre Kuching, together with its satellite town Samarahan, has a combined population of just 1.2 million. 'We in the opposition are not against improving public transport, but we want the government to also be realistic,' she said. 'Electric buses are proven and widely used in Europe, South Korea and Indonesia. Why not start with that? Let's fix the basics first before rushing into costly hydrogen experiments,' she added.
The Herald
24-07-2025
- Sport
- The Herald
Boks must fix sloppy breakdown play, says de Villiers
Fixing sloppy play at the breakdowns is an aspect of their game the Springboks must sort out if they want to make an impact in the Rugby Championship, former Bok star Jean de Villiers says. Though the Boks breezed past the Barbarians, Italy and Georgia, De Villiers says hard work is needed in training ahead of a showdown against the Wallabies at Ellis Park on August 16. 'If you look at the past three Test matches, there are elements of their game that the Boks need to work on,' he said. 'There were things they tried out to see if they could evolve their game even more. 'I think the one element that will concern them a little bit is the breakdown because it was sloppy at times. 'But that comes with the fact that they were trying to play a more expansive game and you don't have as many numbers playing to the ball. 'There were also handling errors in the Test against Georgia. 'I think that it is a combination of the atmosphere, the opposition and the pressure you are being put under and also the way you want to play. 'At the end of the day, if each guy in the team makes one silly error, then suddenly that is 23 errors in the game. 'It is also 23 times that you give the ball away to the opposition. 'But if you win the game by 45 points and you still have those errors, then it is not a bad performance. 'We know the quality of this team and the high standards they have, and that won't be good enough for them.' De Villiers said competition for places in the starting line-up was driving the Boks forward in their efforts to become an even better team. 'You want healthy competition within your squad and we certainly have that when it comes to the wing position,' he said. 'We have several world-class wings and probably a couple more who are also knocking on the door as well. 'It is a very fortunate position for SA to be in. 'For someone like Edwill van der Merwe, however, it is an unfortunate position to be in. 'Probably, if we select our best team tomorrow, he does not make the starting 15. 'But you must keep on pushing and every time you get that opportunity, you must perform and do that week in and week out. 'It is lovely to see how he is putting in the effort and work rate, and hoping for the best. 'I enjoy players like that and it is an example for youngsters on how they should go about approaching a challenge 'If you are not getting selected, you work hard and make sure you use any opportunity you get.' Coach Rassie Erasmus said he was satisfied with how the Boks had fared in their opening four matches. 'Overall, to play a team like Georgia that's very physical and disruptive is difficult,' he said. 'But that's not an excuse for us to make so many errors. 'We also have to understand that if we chop and change teams like that, we'll be building squad depth, but we'll be losing rhythm. 'I'm glad the guys over the last 25 minutes could get some rhythm into the game. We're fairly happy. 'We could always do better, but it was definitely a team that came out to disrupt the flow of the game.' The Herald
The Sun
10-07-2025
- Automotive
- The Sun
Drivers need to do three checks before using their car during hot weather, RAC says
DRIVERS are being urged to carry out three vital checks before hitting the road in scorching weather. As UK temperatures soar, motoring experts say failing to prep your car properly could leave you stranded in the heat. 3 3 Breakdowns are already on the rise - leaving thousands of drivers are being left stranded every day. And with the heatwave chaos, rescue wait times are soaring. Experts are warning Brits to act now before hitting the road and say a few simple checks could save your motor - and your wallet - from a summer meltdown. RAC breakdown spokesperson Alice Simpson said: 'We're seeing a surge in breakdowns as this latest period of hot weather takes hold, with up to 20% more vehicles failing than expected at this point in July. "With above-average temperatures in many parts expected for the foreseeable future, very high volumes of breakdowns will persist through this coming weekend and well into next week. "Our teams are working incredibly hard to help thousands of stranded drivers every day, but waiting times are longer as a result." What to check? Drivers are being urged to check oil and coolant levels, as well as tyre pressure and tread, before setting off. And if you spot a problem, don't risk it - get it looked at by a mechanic or trusted garage before heading out, or you could end up broken down on the hard shoulder in blistering heat. Alice continued: 'Drivers should do whatever they can to avoid their vehicles letting them down in these conditions - oil and coolant levels, as well as tyres, must be checked before journeys are made. "If anything isn't right, get the problem diagnosed by a mobile mechanic or reputable garage, rather than running the risk of driving. "Taking plenty of breaks on long journeys, to give themselves and their cars a rest, is also important." Breakdown Survival Tips Motorists are also being told to prepare for the worst - just in case the car does conk out. Always carry plenty of drinking water, especially if you're travelling with kids or pets, and don't forget sun cream, a sun hat, and even an umbrella to provide shade while you wait for help. Experts say if you do break down, it's vital to get out safely and seek shade where possible - as sitting in a sweltering vehicle can be just as dangerous as being stuck outside. Alice added: 'Staying safe in the heat, especially if a breakdown is unavoidable, should be in the mind of every driver. "Carrying plenty of water for all passengers is a must, as is keeping sunscreen and a sun hat or even umbrella to hand to reduce the ferocity of the sun. "When waiting for assistance, look for a safe location in the shade and well away from moving traffic." 3 Find Your Next Car by What You Can Actually Afford Sun Motors has created the UK's First Finance-First Marketplace * Finance Powered by DSG Finance who are a Credit Broker Not A Lender. Representative 12.9%. Your rate may differ depending on individual circumstances You can check in less than 60 seconds if you are eligible for financing, and then search for your dream used car within your monthly budget. Here's how... Soft credit check, with no impact on your score 60-second decision, get a real finance decision in less than a minute Instant match, only see cars that fit your real budget AI-powered help, get tailored advice, suggestions, and instant answers from an AI advisor called Theo
The Sun
18-06-2025
- Automotive
- The Sun
EVs ‘more likely to break down and leave drivers stranded than petrol or diesel cars,' damning report reveals
ELECTRIC vehicles are reported to be more likely to breakdown on the road than cars with petrol or diesel engines, according to research. A survey of nearly 30,000 drivers looked into their experiences with breakdowns over the past two years. 3 3 The Reliability Survey conducted by What Car? in association with MotorEasy looked at a comparison of petrol, diesel, hybrid and electric cars in terms of whether they were likely to break down, as well as be fixed or towed. Overall, 11 per cent of respondents of the survey had suffered a fault in the last 24 months that made it undriveable. A similar figure of 10.7 per cent of petrol car owners reported a break down in this time, which is a significantly lower rate than batter car owners. Hybrid and diesel cars were also at a lower rate, at 14.1 per cent and 15.4 per cent respectively. Results of the survey come just days after the boss of AA reported attending a higher proportion of electric car breakdowns. In 40.6 per cent of these break downs, the EVs had to be towed from the roadside to a garage. However, only 29.6 per cent per cent of petrol cars required this. CEO of the breakdown service provider, Jakob Pfaudler, added EVs are prone to not only punctures, flat batteries, but also jammed charging cables and technical glitches. He claimed EV breakdowns are more common despite the "idea "common misconception" that they are more reliable than internal combustion engine cars due to having fewer moving parts. On top of that, the report found there was only a one in four chance EV drivers would have their cars permanently fixed by a breakdown company after being stranded on the road. This is in comparison to two in five petrol car owners who were able to get back on the road after calling out roadside assistance. The Sun's Motors Editor Rob Gill takes the new electric Renault 5 for a spin As a result, EVs were the most commonly transported vehicles taken to garages for repairs, as they cannot be towed. They are unable to be towed due rotation of their driven wheels risking of damage to their e-motors. Edmund King, president of AA, also suggested EV drivers are more likely to be confused and flustered by warning lights in their cars, leading them to call for roadside assistance. Whereas petrol car drivers often drive to a garage when being given warning alerts. King estimated, however, that only 86 per cent of traditional cars could be dealt with at the roadside compared to nine in ten battery powered cars which tend to just need a "simple reboot". An additional positive for EV drivers from the survey data suggested their breakdown-related faults could typically be resolved for free, more than any other fuel type. 89 per cent of EV faults could be resolved at zero-cost for the driver, according to the survey, with only three per cent paying more than £1,500 for fixes. Hybrid cars did even better on this front, with 91% being fixed for free, and only two per cent paying over £1,500. However, 76 per cent of petrol car owners reported having their vehicle repaired at no cost following breakdown, and only two-thirds of diesel car drivers.
Daily Mail
29-05-2025
- Automotive
- Daily Mail
New 'major concern' raised with smart motorways by the AA
Another 'major concern' with smart motorways has been identified by the AA as the motoring organisation continues to rally for them to be axed by the Government. Smart motorways have a vehicle breakdown rate nearly three times higher than conventional motorways, according to new figures released by National Highways - the Government-owned company responsible for 'M' roads in Britain - in response to a Freedom of Information request by the AA. With 13 per cent of the nation's 1,900 miles of motorway network 'smart' stretches without a hard shoulder at any time, motorists risk being stranded without a safe place to pull off the road if their car suffers a mechanical issue. The statistics show 56 per cent of breakdowns logged on England's motorways last year happened on smart sections. That is despite the roads only making up a fifth of the nation's total motorway network and there being no new installations in the last two years after the Government cancelled construction of new stretches on safety fears. The 141,149 smart motorway breakdown incidents recorded in 2024 was an average of 387 per day, the data revealed. National Highways said the advanced technology installed on smart motorways means breakdowns on these roads are more likely to be detected. However, the most recent smart motorway stocktake published in March highlighted a number of reported software outages that limited the capacity to identify drivers at risk. Following analysis of 12 smart motorways section over a one-year period, the Office of Rail and Road - the independent watchdog monitoring National Highway - found that four failed to meet the target for detection rates, one didn't meet the target for false discovery rates, and two did not meet the target for average detection times. The volume of breakdowns recorded on smart motorways has intensified the AA's long-standing concerns about their safety to the public after a number of fatal incidents occurred when vehicles stopped in live lanes were hit from behind. Former prime minister Rishi Sunak cancelled all planned smart motorway projects in April 2023, citing financial pressures and a lack of public confidence in the roads. Some smart motorway stretches are controlled schemes, which use variable speed limits and retain a hard shoulder. However, these cover just 7.3 per cent of the network, according to analysis by road safety charity, IAM RoadSmart. Sections considered most dangerous are All-Lane Running smart motorways (13 per cent of the network) that have no hard shoulder whatsoever. This is because motorists who are unfortunate enough to be involved in collisions, encounter vehicle issues or suffer punctures are required to pull into short emergency refuge areas that are spaced a maximum of 1.5 miles apart. If a car is rendered undrivable, it is often impossible to reach one off these safe pull-off areas. Dynamic Hard Shoulder sections - which cover 3.3 per cent of the motorway network - do have a hard shoulders but these can be turned into live lanes in periods of heavy congestion. AA president Edmund King told the PA news agency: 'For many drivers, fear of a collision on a smart motorway would be reinforced by witnessing a breakdown in a live lane, or frequently seeing vehicles in refuge areas. 'These new figures suggest that the chance of that happening is increasing – approaching 400 a day along 396 miles of smart motorway, even when including controlled stretches. 'Equivalent to one a mile each day, that inspires more motorists to stay out of lane one, thus increasing the chance of congestion.' For the first time, figures published by National Highways show 251,448 breakdowns on England's motorways were logged last year. That is an increase of 3 per cent from the previous year and a monumental 47 per cent jump compared with 2014. The AA said free breakdown recovery in roadwork areas and monitoring of smart motorways have increased the number of incidents recorded by National Highways. It believe the length of the motorway network can be ruled out as a major factor as it has only increased by 65 miles in the past decade. Mr King said: 'It is a major concern that we are witnessing more than a quarter of a million breakdowns a year on the motorway network – and those are just the officially recorded ones. 'The situation does not appear to be getting any better.' He added that drivers can reduce the likelihood of breaking down by taking measures such as having their vehicle regularly serviced, checking tyre conditions and pressure, and ensuring they have adequate fuel or charge. The AA has long been campaigning for ministers to take further action by scrapping existing smart motorways. King told the BBC in 2023 that the government needed to go further and restore a permanent hard shoulder to the hundreds of miles of existing smart motorway without one. 'Basically drivers don't trust them, the technology is not fool proof, and 37 per cent of breakdowns on smart motorways happen in live lanes. And basically those drivers are sitting ducks,' he said. A National Highways spokesman said: 'Our latest analysis continues to show that overall, smart motorways remain our safest roads. 'We have upgraded the technology to detect stopped vehicles, improved response times to live lane breakdowns and installed more than 150 additional emergency areas giving people a place to pull over if they break down. 'Unlike other roads, smart motorways have technology in place to identify stopped vehicles, including breakdowns. 'This means more breakdowns are identified on smart motorways compared to other road types, and as a result these stats are not a reliable indicator of actual safety.' In a poll of 13,500 UK drivers conducted by the AA earlier this year, a third said they feel 'a lot less safe' on smart motorways than they did three years ago. In contrast, just two per cent of the panel said they feel more at risk on conventional motorways than they did in 2022. A third responded saying they are more anxious driving on sections of smart motorway with dynamic hard shoulders and drivers generally felt more unsafe on any stretch of smart motorway where there is no hard shoulder, the study found. As such, three in five of the nation's motorists said they want smart motorways scrapped entirely. 'It is time to accept so-called 'smart' motorways has failed and side with the majority of drivers who want the reinstatement of the hard shoulder,' the AA President said back in March. What are the three types of 'smart' motorways and how do they work? ALL LANE RUNNING (ALR) All lane running schemes permanently remove the hard shoulder and convert it into a running lane. On these types of motorway, lane one (formerly the hard shoulder) is only closed to traffic in the event of an incident. In this case a lane closure will be signalled by a red X on the gantry above, meaning you must exit the lane as soon as possible. All running lane motorways also have overhead gantry signs that display the mandatory speed limit. Should drivers break down or be involved in an accident there are emergency refuge areas at the side of the carriageway for them to use. Miles in total: 249.5 miles Percentage of smart motorways in England: 55.1% Percentage of all motorways in England: 13% CONTROLLED MOTORWAY Controlled motorways have three or more lanes with variable speed limits, but retains a hard shoulder. The hard shoulder should only be used in a genuine emergency. These variable speed limits are displayed on overhead gantry signs - if no speed limit is displayed the national speed limit is in place. Speed cameras are used to enforce these. Miles in total: 140.2 miles Percentage of smart motorways in England: 31.0% Percentage of all motorways in England: 7.3% DYNAMIC HARD SHOULDER (DHS) Originally referred to as Hard Shoulder Running smart motorways, dynamic hard shoulder running involves open the hard shoulder as a running lane to traffic at busy periods to ease congestion. On these stretches a solid white line differentiates the hard shoulder from the normal carriageway. Overhead signs on gantries indicate whether or not the hard shoulder is open to traffic. The hard shoulder must not be used if the signs over it are blank or display a red X, except in the case of an emergency. A red X on the gantry above means you must exit the lane as soon as possible. Overhead gantries on these types of motorway also display the mandatory speed limit which varies depending on the traffic conditions. Speed cameras are used to enforce these - no speed limit displayed indicates the national speed limit is in place.
