<
strong>By Lucia Terey Anak John & Muhammad Adil Muzaffar Mohd Fisol
Lately, there had been a number of fatal road accidents in the country involving heavy vehicles, with their faulty brake system often cited as the reason for the vehicles to go out of control. In this final of a three-part special report, PUSPAKOM – which operates the national computerised vehicle inspection centre – gives its take on this issue.
KUALA LUMPUR (Bernama) –The uptick in the number of fatal road accidents involving heavy vehicles on Malaysian roads in recent months has led to some quarters pointing an accusing finger at the national computerised vehicle inspection centre operated by Puspakom Sdn Bhd.
The agency, apparently, is being blamed for not carrying out its duties properly, with the accusations arising from claims by drivers and logistics firms that faulty brakes were responsible for the accidents.
The general perception is that brake failure would not have been an issue if PUSPAKOM had conducted thorough inspections on the vehicles concerned. Under the Road Transport Act 1987, all commercial vehicles must undergo routine inspections every six months at PUSPAKOM.
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The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) has also been urged to investigate allegations that certain PUSPAKOM officials are in cahoots with logistics operators to enable their vehicles to get through the inspection process despite not being in a roadworthy condition.
Commenting on this, Puspakom Sdn Bhd chief executive officer Mohammed Shukor Ismail said the allegations are baseless as inspections are only carried out once every six months, with the roadworthiness report for each vehicle based on its condition at the time of inspection.
REGULAR MAINTENANCE IMPORTANT
He told Bernama in an interview that the once in six months mandatory inspection reflects the government’s commitment to ensuring the vehicles are safe for use on the roads and pose no danger to the drivers and other road users.
He said PUSPAKOM prioritises the quality of its inspections by complying with the standards specified under the Road Transport Act which, he added, are compared to those set by international bodies such as the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe.
He also said that in the case of heavy vehicles, the frequency of their maintenance will depend on their level of usage.
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“For example, a tour bus plying from the south to the north (of peninsular Malaysia) will require more frequent maintenance compared to a vehicle that makes short-haul trips.
“Unfortunately, some heavy vehicle owners only carry out maintenance when it’s time to send them for the (mandatory) inspection at PUSPAKOM, despite the fact that the vehicles concerned have been used heavily and require more frequent maintenance,” he said.
This is why some vehicles are evaluated as roadworthy during inspections but, he added, subsequent poor maintenance can result in the vehicle breaking down in the middle of the road or getting involved in a collision.
He said there are also logistics companies that prioritise safety and send their vehicles to PUSPAKOM for inspection at more frequent intervals instead of once in six months.
COLLABORATING WITH RTD, POLICE
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Mohammed Shukor, however, did not refute allegations that some logistics operators, in order to pass the PUSPAKOM inspection, resort to dirty tactics such as repainting their vehicles and temporarily replacing their old tyres with new ones before changing them again once the inspection is over.
“There certainly are some commercial vehicle owners who do such irresponsible things, such as using borrowed tyres that meet the prescribed specifications just to get the approval of PUSPAKOM… our evaluations are based on the condition of the vehicles at the time of inspection.
“The matter (of vehicle owners resorting to foul tactics) is outside our jurisdiction. This is why we are now collaborating with JPJ (Road Transport Department) and the police to control the situation and prevent it from becoming prevalent,” he said.
According to Mohammed Shukor, the inspections carried out at PUSPAKOM, using a computerised system, encompass various aspects of a vehicle and not just the cosmetic aspect. The inspections, which take about 30 minutes to an hour to complete depending on the type of vehicle, focus more on the safety features such as the brakes and tyres.
INTEGRITY
JPJ director-general Datuk Zailani Hashim was quoted as saying in August that improvements to PUSPAKOM’s inspection procedures are among the measures that will be taken to reduce accident risks involving commercial vehicles.
PUSPAKOM has also indicated that it is ready to cooperate with JPJ to review its inspection procedures.
Mohammed Shukor, however, dismissed allegations that some PUSPAKOM officials are colluding with logistics operators to ensure their vehicles pass the inspection even though they fail to meet the safety standards set by the authorities.
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He said it is impossible for their staff to be involved in shady activities as PUSPAKOM’s inspection process makes use of computer technology and automation systems that cannot be manipulated.
“Our agency digitalised its operations and inspection system in 2013 in order to enhance transparency and productivity as well as strengthen its integrity.
“Thus, there’s no basis to claims that PUSPAKOM (staff) is working hand in glove with lorry companies,” he asserted.
He also pointed out that the computerised automation technology used by the agency is constantly upgraded to meet international standards.
PUSPAKOM, he added, was also among the earliest agencies to sign MACC’s corporate integrity pledge as well as obtain the ISO 37001:1 Anti-Bribery Management System certification.
STAFF NUMBERS
Mohammed Shukor said the agency is also constantly improving its existing integrity compliance framework by focusing on three aspects related to policies and procedures; systems, processes, technology and staff; and integrity-based work culture.
In addition to that, PUSPAKOM has also implemented comprehensive short- and long-term action plans to ensure that integrity issues are dealt with effectively, which proves that the agency is fully committed to guaranteeing the integrity of its officers.
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Currently, an average of 45,000 commercial vehicles are inspected by PUSPAKOM every month. The vehicles comprise various categories and they include prime movers, trailers, tour buses and workers’ buses.
PUSPAKOM has a staff strength of 900 which, according to Mohammed Shukor, is sufficient to accommodate requests for vehicle inspections at its centres throughout the country.
Meanwhile, road safety expert Prof Dr Kulanthayan KC Mani urged the authorities to step up enforcement activities to check the occurrence of accidents involving heavy vehicles.
He suggested that JPJ’s Demerit Points System for Traffic Offences (Kejara) be improved, specifically to detect drivers that are repeat offenders.
“Currently, it detects drivers only after they have committed an offence. To make this system more effective, it should have the capability to flag a driver (in real time)… this will prevent the risk of an accident occurring in future,” he said.
Under the Kejara system, a driver’s licence can be suspended and subsequently revoked if he receives a certain number of demerit points for committing traffic offences.
“When driving near a heavy vehicle, they (other road users) must give enough space (for the heavy vehicle). Road safety is an important public health issue and the cooperation of all parties is needed to reduce the accident rate,” he added.
