PETALING JAYA: The Transport Ministry (MOT) will ban vehicles from using the right lane on highways and must remain on the left lane unless they intend to overtake.
MOT secretary-general Datuk Jana Santhiran Muniayan said the prohibition was gazetted in 2015 but was yet to be implemented.
“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 was quoted as saying by the New Straits Times.
This decision is one of the five measures taken by MOT to improve the nation’s road safety, following several fatal accidents involving the aforementioned vehicles.
Other steps taken include the installation of speed control devices, Global Positioning System (GPS) tracking devices, high-speed weigh-in motion (HS WIM) detectors on 11 highway locations along with automated enforcement system cameras.
Jana Santhiran added that new lorries were already equipped with the speed control devices, reportedly limiting vehicle speeds to 80 to 90 kilometres per hour to prevent accidents. However those who own older vehicles can install said devices by themselves, as permitted by the Land Public Transport Agency (Apad).
“This regulation has also been gazetted under existing laws, but it has not been enforced yet, and we want to see it implemented,“ he said.Jana Santhiran was also quoted as saying.
He added that the GPS installation will be effective this month which will allow Apad to monitor the system in real-time and take action.
Inspections will be conducted every six months at Puspakom for speed control devices and GPS installed in the vehicles to “ensure compliance”, as quoted
If traffic violations take place, the authorities would immediately take action which include suspension or revocation of lorry or bus company permits.
Furthermore, the completion of the HS-WIM installation at 11 highway locations expected to be done in the first quarter of 2026 to detect overloaded vehicles.
As of now, two locations went through the proof-of-concept (POC) phase while nine remaining locations underwent pilot projects, expected to fully operate 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 was quoted as saying.
Not only that, MOT would request funding from the Ministry of Finance to increase the installation of AES cameras nationwide.
Jana Santhiran said the measures taken to improve Malaysia’s road safety regarding heavy vehicles were the result of a task force established in January.
