IPOH, September 14 — The Road Transport Department (JPJ) cannot take action against cyclists who ride on highways, its director-general Datuk Seri Shaharuddin Khalid said today.

He clarified that the proper authority to act against cyclists on highways is the local council.

"If we refer to the law, bicycles are not in the list of taxable vehicles that should be on the roads. Therefore, enforcement does not fall under JPJ,” he said at a press conference after launching the JPJ enforcement control centre in Jelapang here.

"The management of bicycles on the road is the responsibility of the local authorities,” he added. 

Shaharuddin was responding to a recent social media post about a group of cyclists riding near the highway to Seremban, Negri Sembilan who purportedly posed a road hazard to motorists.

He said the most JPJ could do is advise cyclists against riding on highways as they endanger themselves and motorists.

But he also said his department will coordinate with other government agencies, including the police, to handle the issue.