Heavy Vehicles Banned from Using Right Lane on Highways – MoT

Heavy vehicles like buses and lorries are banned from using the right lane on highways, the Transport Ministry says.

Heavy vehicles like buses and lorries will no longer be allowed to use the right lane on highways, the Transport Ministry (MoT) says. Instead, buses and lorries must remain in the leftmost lane unless overtaking.

This is one of the five improvements that MoT will enforce strictly for commercial vehicles, especially heavy ones like lorries and buses.

Other regulatory enhancements included mandatory installation of speed control devices, Global Positioning System (GPS) tracking, high-speed weigh-in-motion (HS-WIM) detectors at 11 highway locations, and additional automated enforcement system (AES) cameras.

Transport Ministry Secretary-General Datuk Jana Santhiran Muniayan

According to MoT’s secretary-general Datuk Jana Santhiran Muniayan, the rule prohibiting buses and lorries from using the rightmost lane was gazetted in 2015 but had yet to be enforced.

"Under this rule, lorries and buses must stay in the left lane and are not allowed to speed. If they need to overtake, they may move to the second lane and then return to the left.

"However, they are strictly prohibited from using the third lane at any time. Therefore, we will resubmit this proposal to the minister to ensure its enforcement for heavy vehicles on highways," he said in an interview with Berita Harian.

On speed control devices, he said all new lorries were already equipped with them. However, owners of older vehicles had the option to install it themselves, as permitted by the Land Public Transport Agency (APAD).

"This device will limit heavy vehicle speeds to 80 KM/H to 90 KM/H to prevent accidents. This regulation has also been gazetted under existing laws, but it has not been enforced yet, and we want to see it implemented," he added.

The MoT sec-gen also said the GPS installation rule would take effect this month, allowing APAD to take action based on real-time monitoring of the system. If any traffic violations occur, authorities could immediately take action, including suspending or revoking the permits of lorry or bus companies.

"For speed control devices and GPS, inspections will be conducted every six months at Puspakom to ensure compliance," he said.

The installation of HS-WIM detectors at 11 highway locations was expected to be completed in the first quarter of next year to detect overloaded vehicles. Currently, two locations were in the proof-of-concept (POC) phase, while the remaining nine were undergoing pilot projects, expected to be fully operational early next year.

"We are also collaborating with highway operators, as they have systems capable of detecting lorry loads at toll plazas. This technology will be linked to the Road Transport Department (JPJ) to enable automatic issuance of summonses," he said.

Source: Berita Harian, NST