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The Truck Operators Association is calling for tougher penalties for drivers as companies fail to ensure vehicle safety

The Truck Operators Association is calling for tougher penalties for drivers as companies fail to ensure vehicle safety

The Truck Operators Association is calling for tougher penalties for drivers as companies fail to ensure vehicle safety

You often hear calls for tougher penalties on truck drivers or transport companies found guilty of failing to ensure the safety of their vehicles, especially after a series of incidents, but these are usually from safety experts, academics and authorities. With all that has been happening on the roads lately, here’s that usual comment again, but this time from a truckers association.

That New Straits Times According to reports, the call to address the issue was made by the Selangor and Kuala Lumpur Lorry Operators Association (SKLLOA), with secretary-general Alvin Choong saying stricter action could address the ongoing problems that continue to tarnish the industry’s reputation. This includes enforcement for offenses related to overloading leading to accidents.

“What is really important is that strict and severe penalties are applied against irresponsible truck drivers and operators. Innocent lives are lost to negligence and greed as they overload their trucks. This is one of the main causes of brake system failures, tire problems and mechanical damage,” he said TV3 bulletin.

Choong said there have been truck operators who deliberately ignore standard operating procedures (SOPs) and intentionally overload their vehicles. As such, he said, stricter enforcement measures are needed to ensure the safety of other road users.

The Truck Operators Association is calling for tougher penalties for drivers as companies fail to ensure vehicle safety

“Some truck operators are forced to overload due to intense competition. According to the Road Transport Act 1987, if a lorry is overloaded, it should not be allowed to continue its journey. Instead, the excess load has to be transferred to another truck,” he said.

“If this is implemented, trucks will no longer carry excessive loads and create problems for other road users. However, this is not being done even though the SOP and regulations have been in place since the Road Transport Act was introduced in 1987,” he added.

His statement follows the multi-vehicle accident that occurred on the North-South Expressway near Alor Gajah on December 23, which resulted in the loss of seven lives and wounding 33 other people. The accident was caused by a tire coming off a truck trailer which then collided with a tour bus, causing the chain of events that led to the tragedy.

Following Transport Minister Anthony Loke probe order made on Christmas Eve, the road transport department (JPJ) is investigation and auditing the vehicle companies involved in the incident. The police also recorded the statement of the truck driver to help establish whether there was any element of negligence that led to one of the truck’s tires coming off.

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