PUTRAJAYA, Jan 2 — Transport Minister Anthony Loke Siew Fook has today urged the Road Transport Department (JPJ) to take a more proactive role in ensuring the safety of road users.

He said JPJ must also be stricter with drivers and operators who violate regulations, after several accidents involving heavy vehicles such as the tragic Ayer Keroh crash that claimed seven lives.

“In recent months, road accidents involving heavy vehicles have increased, resulting in the loss of invaluable lives. As the agency responsible for road transport, JPJ must take a more active role in ensuring the safety of road users.

“I urge JPJ to intensify enforcement, particularly against heavy vehicles. Monitoring needs to be strengthened, from ensuring drivers adhere to driving time limits to ensuring vehicles are well-maintained.

“JPJ must also be stricter with drivers and operators who violate regulations, as their negligence can endanger the lives of others,” he said when officiating JPJ’s new office at Galeria PJH here.

Loke added that road safety is an issue that requires a comprehensive approach.

“Besides enforcement, JPJ must intensify awareness campaigns to educate drivers about the importance of road safety.

“Every life is precious, and every effort to reduce accidents is a step towards a safer future,” he said.

On December 23, seven people were killed, and 33 others injured in the collision, which occurred at Kilometre 204 of the northbound North-South Expressway, near the Ayer Keroh Rest and Service Area (R&R).

The crash involved a tour bus carrying 27 passengers, a trailer, and a Toyota Estima MPV. The fatalities included three men, three women, and a baby girl.

Last week, Bukit Aman Traffic Investigation and Enforcement Department director Datuk Seri Mohd Yusri Hassan Basri said a total of 1,457 deaths were recorded in 3,500 road accidents involving lorries across the country from Jan 2019 to last month.

In addition, he said there were 548 cases involving buses recorded in the same period, with 153 deaths, 120 serious injuries, and 218 minor injuries.