SHAH ALAM, June 21 — The government has been urged to establish a standing committee comprising road safety experts and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) to prevent accidents involving heavy vehicles.
Road Safety Experts Association (Persatuan Pakar Keselamatan Jalan Raya or PPKJR) founder Jamil Manan Jufri said forming such a committee would help ensure that road-related laws are enforced efficiently and effectively, involving all relevant stakeholders.
"Currently, special task forces are only set up following tragic accidents. Government personnel are appointed to these roles despite lacking experience in handling such cases, often selected simply to fill vacancies.
“Therefore, there is a need for a permanent committee made up of experts and NGOs to monitor driver behaviour continuously. Just like in the aviation sector, there is a dedicated crisis team that regularly monitors vehicles and their systems,” he told Media Selangor.
Meanwhile, the Department of Occupational Safety and Health's former director-general Omar Mat Piah emphasised that all companies operating heavy vehicles must appoint a safety coordinator.
Failure to do so constitutes a serious offence.
“Under the latest amendments to the Occupational Safety and Health Act 1994, any company with more than five employees is required to have a safety coordinator. Failure to comply could result in a fine of up to RM50,000,” he said.
