New year, new policy to combat road accidents?

 

In recent weeks, Malaysia has witnessed an alarming surge in fatal road accidents involving cargo lorries.

Unfortunately, this is not a new phenomenon. Road accidents have long been a major issue in the country, with Malaysia ranking among the highest globally in road-related fatalities.

Why does this issue persist, and what are the underlying factors that contribute to this ongoing crisis?

Let’s delve into some of the core problems and explore potential solutions to address them.

Driver shortage 

The shortage of qualified drivers, particularly for heavy lorries and buses, has remained an unresolved issue for many years.

Due to a lack of qualified candidates, unqualified drivers, those with a poor traffic record, and others who do not even have valid driving licences often end up being employed.

This creates a depressed employment market, forcing lorry operators to hire out of desperation.

Meanwhile, members of the younger generation are increasingly uninterested in such roles, primarily due to low wages and a lack of prospects. Many instead opt to work as motorcycle delivery riders—a simpler job which requires less travel and often offers comparable, if not better, earnings.

The low pay for drivers of heavy lorries and long distance buses, the long, exhausting hours away from home that their jobs entail, and a lack of career progression, make these jobs even less appealing.

Skilled Malaysian drivers often prefer to work in Singapore, where they receive higher pay, and are given better working conditions with regulated work hours.

In Malaysia, however, drivers rarely have the opportunity to advance into supervisory or managerial roles, leaving them trapped in low-paying, high-stress positions.

Lack of accountability

Unlike aircraft pilots who are required to verify maintenance and calculate payloads, Malaysia’s road cargo transportation industry does not place similar responsibilities on drivers.

Lorry drivers are not tasked with overseeing vehicle maintenance or monitoring load weights. Despite this, they are often unfairly blamed when accidents occur.

In this country, vehicle maintenance and overloading practices fall under the purview of management, which frequently cuts corners to maximise profits. Vehicles are often overloaded, a practice which is sustained through clandestine arrangements with enforcement authorities to avoid penalties.

Drivers are also routinely given “allowances” to pay off enforcement officers at roadside inspections.

Similarly, biannual mandatory vehicle inspections are riddled with fraud. Rigorous vehicle checks are often bypassed with the help of “cosmetic agents”, reducing the process to a mere formality.

This enables unfit vehicles to remain operational, endangering all road users.

Such unethical practices not only jeopardise safety but also perpetuate inefficiency and hinder the modernisation of the cargo logistics sector.

Without significant reforms, the industry will continue to operate in a fraudulent manner and at a substandard level.

A vicious cycle 

The industry operates without clear direction or an up-to-date legal framework within which it can operate safely, grow its fleet, and develop the business.

The current licensing system is outdated, a remnant of a policy dating back to the 1970s designed to encourage Bumiputera participation in the transport sector—a goal it has largely failed to achieve.

As a result, the industry has stagnated and is unable to attract new talent.

This situation is compounded by systemic failures, including:

•  ineffective privatised vehicle inspections
• rampant use of vehicle “cosmetic agents” to bypass regulations
• the continued presence of defective vehicles on the road
• the unchecked operation of overloaded lorries
• poorly trained or unlicensed drivers
• low wages and poor working conditions for drivers
• inadequate governance, and
• inconsistent and insufficient enforcement measures.

Without meaningful reforms, these issues will continue to manifest themselves in high accident rates, road fatalities, and an unsafe transport environment.

Structural reform

To address these challenges, the government must take decisive action to overhaul outdated practices and improve governance.

This can be done by modernising licensing systems, introducing innovative recruitment strategies, and offering minimum salaries to drivers.

A comprehensive framework should also be established to improve driver training, vehicle inspection and maintenance, operational schedules, and overall working conditions, including a shortening of working hours.

Driving should be elevated to a professional career, with structured training programmes that go beyond merely obtaining heavy goods or public service vehicle licences.

The government must also enact new employment laws tailored specifically for the transportation sector.

These laws should ensure competitive pay and improved working conditions; place the responsibility for proper vehicle maintenance, due compliance with payloads and traffic rules on drivers themselves; allow them the option of refusing to helm overloaded vehicles; and provide long-term career prospects to attract and retain talent.

Mandatory stops for rest must also be introduced for heavy lorries, with more rest areas integrated into our road and expressway network.

Prioritising rail transport

In the long term, the government should prioritise transitioning the carriage of hazardous and bulk cargo as well as long-distance freight from road to rail systems.

For instance, the 500 heavy lorry permits currently allocated daily for operations between Thailand and Singapore under the existing Asean transport initiatives should be cancelled and replaced with rail transport.

This shift to rail transport would significantly reduce the number of heavy lorries on roads and, in turn, lower the demand for lorry drivers.

Without such policy reforms, the transportation sector will remain mired in inefficiency, posing ongoing economic and social challenges for the country. On top of that, the existing structural weaknesses within the transportation industry will only worsen.

Rising road accident rates and outdated practices will continue to jeopardise public safety and hinder economic progress.

It is imperative that the government implement bold, forward-thinking measures to revitalise this crucial sector.

Happy New Year to all motorists. Drive safely. - FMT

The author can be reached at: rosli@mdsconsultancy.com

The views expressed are those of the writer and do not necessarily reflect those of MMKtT.