Ensure Commercial Vehicles Are Safe For Use - Loke

SEMENYIH, March 10 (Bernama) -- All commercial vehicle operators are reminded to ensure the safety of their vehicles and not harm other motorists, Transport Minister Anthony Loke said.

Operators risk being suspended by the Land Public Transport Agency if their vehicles that are involved in accidents fail the Road Transport Department’s (JPJ) audit process, he added.

“Now it is a part of the SOP (standard operating procedure), meaning if there is an accident, doesn’t matter a normal accident or a fatal one, the lorry company will be audited. LAst year there were hundreds of lorry companies that failed their audits and had their operations suspended,” he told reporters after a JPJ special operation programme and breaking fast at the Semenyih JPJ Enforcement Station today, which was also attended by JPJ director-general Jalan Datuk Aedy Fadly Ramli. 

Meanwhile, Loke shared that the body cameras for JPJ personnel were still at procurement stage.

“We are subject to the procurement process and we hope to get it done with the police. We will discuss with the Home Ministry how to do a joint procurement,” he said.

Loke also stressed that the ban on three-pin and USB sockets onboard express buses were still in effect as the guidelines on their use were still being drafted.

He said they were working with the Standard and Industrial Research Institute of Malaysia (Sirim) and the Energy Transition and Water Transformation Ministry to develop the guidelines.

The ban follows the death of a teenager who died of electrocution after charging their mobile phone onboard an express bus in Butterworth, Penang November last year.

-- BERNAMA