MOT Will Tighten Heavy Vehicle Integrated Operation

Photo: HM. The Transport Ministry will keep strengthening and broadening the integrated operation on large vehicles, including lorries, to make sure that drivers follow the law and are not operating a vehicle while under the influence.
According to its minister, Anthony Loke, the Road Transport Department (JPJ) had previously conducted operations against express and sightseeing bus drivers, discovering that a large number of them had tested positive for drugs.
The Road Transport Department (JPJ) will concentrate on heavy vehicles as well. This comes after two fatal truck accidents that occurred in Seremban recently and in which the drivers tested positive for methamphetamine.
“This is a problem that was taken seriously, and we have launched an integrated operation in the last two months, now we are focusing on commercial and heavy vehicles… stricter operations will be held to ensure that drivers driving these heavy vehicles comply with the rules.

“Previously we targeted (operations) in some industrial areas and so on, so now we will expand it so that they are more careful,” he told Bernama after officiating the 20th Negeri Sembilan DAP Ordinary Convention, here yesterday Loke further underlined that if a driver tests positive for drugs and causes an accident, the owner or operator of the business will also be held liable. He cited the June 29 excursion bus accident, which resulted in the overturn and the deaths of two people; in that case, both the driver and the business owner were charged with negligence in court.

Photo: Sinar Harian. According to him, this is because a company has an obligation to make sure that their drivers are responsible, do not misuse their positions or licenses, and do not break any traffic laws.