KUALA LUMPUR: The Ministry of Transport (MOT) and the Ministry of Works (KKR) are in the final stages of developing a High-Speed Weigh-In-Motion (HS-WiM) system to address road accidents caused by overloaded vehicles.
Transport Minister Anthony Loke said the installation of the system, particularly at hotspot areas for overloaded vehicles and accident-prone black spots, aimed to ensure more integrated and modern enforcement.
“We know that many accidents occur on the Karak Highway, and for heavy commercial vehicles, we have continuously conducted integrated operations. We will constantly monitor and carry out enforcement operations to reduce accidents.
“One of the recurring issues is overloading, with logistics lorries carrying excessive loads, and this will be continuously monitored by the ministry,” he said, responding to Young Syefura Othman’s (PH-Bentong) question during the policy stage debate on the 2025 Supply Bill for MOT in the Dewan Rakyat yesterday.
Young Syefura asked about the ministry’s role in reducing the frequency of accidents on the Karak Highway, which has led to loss of life.
Loke said that in the long term, to alleviate traffic congestion on the roads, the MOT would promote the use of railways for transporting cargo, particularly from the Klang Valley to the East Coast.
“Once the East Coast Rail Link (ECRL) project is completed, we will certainly devise a policy to reduce reliance on heavy trucks. This will lessen the use of trucks on the roads,” he added.
Meanwhile, in response to a question from Afnan Hamimi Taib Azamudden (PN-Alor Setar) regarding the ministry’s plans to connect railway stations with other public transportation in rural areas, and the high demand to upgrade Keretapi Tanah Melayu Berhad (KTMB) stations, Loke said the Railway Assets Corporation (RAC) was prioritising station upgrades.
“In terms of integration, I agree, but we need cooperation from state governments and local authorities, as the station premises fall under MOT jurisdiction, but areas outside are not.
“For example, to connect a KTM station with a bus stop, the walkway is under the local authority, so the local authority needs to take a more proactive approach and liaise with the Ministry of Housing and Local Government (KPKT) to explore possible upgrades.
“In the Klang Valley, we are actively upgrading public transport integration at stations, and I agree that this is needed not only in Klang Valley but across the country in cities like Alor Setar, where more efficient public transport integration is necessary,” he said.