THE poor quality of Malaysian roads, including potholes and uneven surfaces, significantly contributes to road accidents in the country, a consumer group said today.
The President of the Consumers’ Association of Penang, Mohideen Abdul Kader, highlighted reports indicating that around 60% of federal roads in Malaysia have exceeded their service life and require urgent repairs.
“The government must prioritise upgrading these roads while imposing stricter penalties on overloaded commercial vehicles, which studies have shown are a leading cause of premature road damage, particularly in rural areas,” he said in a statement in conjunction with Zero Accident Day today.
Government data showed there were 600,000 road accidents last year, resulting in 6,443 fatalities. In 2022, there were 545,588 road accidents with 6,080 fatalities. In 2021, there were 370,286 road accidents with 4,539 fatalities.
“Post Covid-19, there has been a significant increase in accidents, with motorcyclists being the most frequent victims, followed by car occupants.
“It’s important to note that reported accidents do not account for the many ‘minor’ incidents that go unreported,” said Mohideen, adding that these numbers were alarming.
He also referred to a 2008 study which showed that 27% of the one million registered commercial vehicles in the country were overloaded, causing roads to deteriorate within the first three years, despite the roads being designed to last up to a decade.
Mohideen said another factor contributing to poor road conditions is substandard remedial work by third-party contractors.
In 2018, the Public Works Department, the Malaysian Highway Authority, Kuala Lumpur City Hall, and the Petaling Jaya City Council attributed these deficiencies to contractors failing to meet required standards.
“Payments to these underperforming contractors should be withheld until their work meets the necessary standards,” he said.
He stressed that, irrespective of the road conditions, all road users must practise proper road etiquette to prevent accidents, which should not be measured solely by fatalities.
He added that accidents cause trauma, hospitalisation, and lengthy legal and insurance processes, none of which justify gaining a few seconds on the road.
Efficient public transport system
Mohideen said the government must reduce private vehicle ownership, encourage the use of efficient public transport, and enforce traffic regulations strictly to reduce accidents.
He emphasised that one way to overcome the alarming rate of road accidents and fatalities is for the government to provide an efficient public transport system.
He said the success of public transport hinges on four factors: affordability, convenience (including the availability of feeder buses), regularity, and punctuality.
Once these are addressed, the government can implement vehicle ownership deterrence measures, such as end-of-life policies for cars over 15 years old, tolls for passenger vehicles entering central business districts, and a two-hour parking rule to prevent vehicles from occupying spots for extended periods, he added.
He also suggested that the government should stop rewarding traffic offenders by offering significant discounts on traffic fines, especially during festive seasons.
“This only encourages habitual traffic violators to wait for these opportunities to settle their fines at reduced rates,” he said.
He noted that a recent report revealed that 41 million traffic fines, amounting to approximately RM4 billion, remain unpaid by traffic offenders from 1990 to June 2024.
Of these, 51,128 fines, totalling RM5.1 million, involved foreign nationals from countries such as Singapore, Brunei, and Thailand.
“Despite the discounts, Malaysians owe the majority of the RM4 billion in fines.
“The police and the Road Transport Department should seriously consider refusing road tax renewals to those with unpaid fines,” said Mohideen, while suggesting that foreign nationals could be blacklisted from entering Malaysia until they have settled their fines.
Mohideen said achieving ‘zero accidents’ requires a collective commitment from all road users, government authorities, and relevant stakeholders.
“By prioritising road maintenance, enforcing stricter regulations, promoting public transport, and holding traffic violators accountable, we can work together to significantly reduce accidents and fatalities on our roads.
“Safety should be our shared priority, ensuring that everyone arrives at their destination without harm. The journey towards safer roads begins with each of us taking responsibility and making informed choices,” he said. – August 26, 2024.
History, propaganda are no bedfellows
Penang Institute wants to draw locals back to lit fest
Honouring the spirit of Malaysia 1963
Umno bukan lagi pemain politik negara, kata penganalisis
Comments
(2) if you always have bad dream
(3) You want to be promoted in your office.
(4) You want women/men to run after you.
(5) If you want a child.
(6) You want to be rich.
(7) You want to tie your husband/wife to be yours forever.
(8) If you need financial assistance.
(9) HIV/AIDS CURE
(10) is the only answer to that your problem of winning the lottery
Contact him today on [email protected]
Posted 1 year ago by Ashley walters · Reply
you can be to get the new PROGRAMMED blank ATM card that is capable of
hacking into any ATM machine,anywhere in the world. I got to know about
this BLANK ATM CARD when I was searching for job online about a month
ago..It has really changed my life for good and now I can say I'm rich and
I can never be poor again. The least money I get in a day with it is about
$50,000.(fifty thousand USD) Every now and then I keeping pumping money
into my account. Though is illegal,there is no risk of being caught
,because it has been programmed in such a way that it is not traceable,it
also has a technique that makes it impossible for the CCTVs to detect
you..For details on how to get yours today, email the hackers on : (
[email protected]
Posted 1 year ago by Zam zam · Reply
whatsapp+2348136482342
Posted 1 year ago by Quatisha brown · Reply
Email: [email protected]
OR [email protected]
Facebook Pages https://web.facebook.com/www.drsahabilovespellcastercenter1
HAVE A BLESSED DAY
Posted 1 year ago by Joshua Ezekiel · Reply
Am using this media to let you know about Dr .Akereco who specializes in the following spells.
Such as:
1) Bring back lost lovers(Love Spell)
2) Money Spell
3) Lottery Spell
4) Good Luck Spell
5) Promotion Spell
6) Cure of diseases such as HIV/Aids
7) Herbs for fertility
8) Magic practice, ETC.
If you need any of this help you can contact Dr. Akereco through his email: [email protected] or WhatsApp: +2349077425515
website: http://drakerecoproblemssolutionhome.website2.me
Posted 1 year ago by Tammy Slaton · Reply
Am using this media to let you know about Dr. Akereco who specializes in the following spells.
Such as:
1) Bring back lost lovers(Love Spell)
2) Money Spell
3) Lottery Spell
4) Good Luck Spell
5) Promotion Spell
6) Cure of diseases such as HIV/Aids
7) Herbs for fertility
8) Magic practice, ETC.
If you need any of this help you can contact Dr. Akereco through his email: [email protected] or WhatsApp: +2349077425515
website: http://drakerecoproblemssolutionhome.website2.me
Posted 1 year ago by Tammy Slaton · Reply