The recent spate of road accidents involving lorries and container trucks has prompted a transportation expert to suggest that Malaysia should emulate Australia’s move in incorporating a Chain of Responsibility (CoR) legal framework for heavy vehicles to reduce road fatalities, FMT reports.
According to MY Mobility Vision founder Wan Agyl Wan Hassan, Australia’s implementation of CoR, which became operational in 2014, has drastically improved accountability across the logistics sector. This is because it makes parties other than drivers responsible – and accountable – for the safety of heavy vehicles on the road.
“Implementing a CoR framework, as successfully done in Australia, could hold every stakeholder in the logistics chain accountable, ensuring shared responsibility for safety,” he told the publication.
According to the Australian National Heavy Vehicle Regulator (NHVR), CoR is a legal concept used in the country’s road transport law and makes parties other than drivers responsible for the safety of heavy vehicles on the road.
Under the framework, everyone who works with heavy vehicles, from the business that employs a driver or owns a vehicle, to the business that sends or receives goods is accountable for the safety of the heavy vehicle, its driver, and its load throughout the journey. Penalties for those who contravene the primary duty or obligation to ensure the safety of transport activities can be up to AUD300,000 (RM875,000) and five years’ imprisonment for individuals, and up to AUD3 million (RM8.75 million) for corporations.
Wan Agyl pointed out that in the first three months of 2024 alone, 287 people were killed and 95 severely injured in accidents involving heavy vehicles, citing numbers quoted in June by deputy transport minister Hasbi Habibollah. “Beyond the devastating human toll, the financial burden is equally shocking, with road accidents costing the nation RM25 billion in economic losses last year alone,” he said.
He also repeated calls for the re-institution of a centralised transportation agency to replace the land public transport commission (SPAD), which was dissolved in 2018. He said SPAD’s dissolution “fragmented” the responsibility for enforcement and policy-making in transport.
“This lack of cohesion has led to inconsistent regulation and oversight, with many initiatives to manage heavy vehicle operations scattered and less impactful. We need a single agency that can bring accountability and leadership to these issues. Without this, the crisis on Malaysia’s roads continues unabated,” he explained.
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Should change law so that dangerous driving that causes death will be charged murder
Punished anchovies meanwhile tiger sharks having caviar
and wine. Boss delegates manager instructs supervisor hires new driver asap.
Yeah later the whole supply chain increase prices sape mau bayar? Loke ke? Stupid plan by stupid minister.
How to solve that other side always says its alcohol fault even it was revealed by police for the past 10 years from 2012 to 2022 intoxication by alcohol driving causes fatality is the lowest however that side didn’t talk about rampant drug uses because….
Bcos drug use is most prevalent among certain type.
Yeahhh…ban alcohol…just recent we have 2 married couple died because of idiot under alcohol
Good call. CoR, something that’s working, there is no need to reinvent the wheel. But I doubt there is enough political will to do this for it will quite significantly impact the cost of logistics, which is crucial to the competitiveness of the country and also results in inflation across the board.
make heavy vehicles automonous… 90% of the problems are human related.
Autobot or Decepticon?
Enforce compulsory brake and tyres replacement annually. Earning so much yet claim increase cost. It’s a peanut for these logistics companies.
Calling for SPAD replacement? Isnt that what APAD was setup for?! PH please step down now!