Mandatory speed limiters for commercial vehicles from October 1; those without will fail inspections – Loke

Commercial vehicles will be required to each have a speed limitation device (SLD) in order to pass vehicle inspections, and those without the speed limiters will fail inspections once phased enforcement of the ruling begins on October 1, Bernama has reported.

Implementation of the SLD is a crucial step in controlling the speed of heavy vehicles and reducing the risk of fatal accidents, particularly involving buses and lorries, and such systems have long been mandatory in European countries as well as Singapore, transport minister Anthony Loke has said.

“Although I am aware that some industry players may push back, citing additional costs and so on, when it comes to ensuring road safety, human lives must take precedence. I hope all Yang Berhormat will support the government’s efforts to ensure smooth implementation. Any opposition should be addressed by making it clear that safety must take priority over costs and business profits,” Loke said during a question-and-answer session in the Dewan Rakyat today.

The statement from Loke was in response to Fathul Huzir Ayob (PH-Gerik) on whether the transport ministry intends to mandate automatic cut-off systems on buses and lorries to limit the vehicles’ speed, or stop the vehicle if safety rules are ignored.

Phase 1 of SLD enforcement that takes effect from October 1 this year will involve verification of SLD functionality for all commercial vehicles manufactured after January 1, 2015.

This is followed by Phase 2 that takes effect January 1, 2026, and involves the activation of the SLD within the electronic control unit (ECU) for commercial vehicles built before January 1, 2015. Phase 3 will require the retrofit installation of SLDs, with approval from the JPJ, on any commercial vehicles not already equipped with the system; this will be enforced from July 1, 2026.

The system will apply to all commercial vehicles, specifically goods vehicles with a gross vehicle weight (GVW) exceeding 3,500 kg and passenger vehicles with a GVW exceeding 5,000 kg and which carry more than eight passengers.

In response to Fathul Huzir’s supplementary question regarding the integration of safety systems such as automatic emergency braking (AEB), electronic stability control (ESC), and real-time monitoring systems alongside the SLD, in addition to the introduction of black boxes for commercial vehicles, Loke said that the transport ministry is considering the proposals.

Commercial vehicle safety was once again brought back into public scrutiny after a bus crash in Gerik claimed 15 lives and left 33 other injured. A preliminary report by a special task force within the transport ministry has identified multiple factors in the incident, among them excessive speed where the bus was estimated to have exceeded 117 km/h in the incident.

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