Giam Say Khoon
The Sun
The Road Transport Department (RTD)'s Automated Enforcement System (AES), to be launched in October, is doomed to fail, says Social Action Initiative Foundation executive deputy chairman Tan Sri Robert Phang.
"The only way to check the rise in road accidents is effective enforcement. You can have all the laws and systems you want, but if enforcement is ineffective, you will surely fail," he told theSun today. Isnt this what we were posting all along in this thread?
"For years, we have been grappling with the problem of rising number of fatal road accidents involving private and commercial vehicles, especially express buses.
"Isn't it crystal clear that enforcement has been ineffective because it is carried out by various agencies without any synergy or integration.
"There is the RTD, the Commercial Vehicle Licensing Board and the police, all under the purview of different ministries. They have also indirectly admitted that they do not share their database of vehicle owners and drivers.
"How else do you explain the case of the Super Express bus that crashed in Bukit Gantang, killing 21 passengers, could be still on the road after accumulating 19 police summonses since 1991, 79 summonses from the RTD in five years and failed Puspakom inspections four times because of problems with the brakes. Spot On!
"Clearly, the problem is not solely or necessary due to lack of enforcement.
"Without a synergy of all road transport agencies, fatal road accidents involving all vehicles will continue to rise. The AES will fail."
Phang said even the National Registration Department and Economic Planning Unit of the Prime Minister's Department had roles to play in road safety enforcement.
He stressed that he was not trying to dispute RTD's efforts and AES but the department should rope in every stakeholder as well as professional bodies from abroad to come out with a more comprehensive and effective system.
Asked whether the RTD and CVLB should be governed by just one body like Singapore's Land Transport Authority (LTA), Phang said the LTA was able to streamline everything under one roof because it was integrated a long time ago.
"We will not be ready to implement any new system because our agencies are not integrated," he reiterated.
On Monday, Phang held a press conference to invite top officials from the Transport Ministry, RTD and other relevant agencies to participate in a public debate on road accidents.
He said the public debate is meant for the people and the stakeholders to come up with a constructive solution to curb road safety issues.
He said any suggestion will not be heard if the agencies are not present and take part in the debate.
Kuala Lumpur and Selangor Lorry Drivers Association secretary-general Alvin Choong said the association welcomed Phang's idea to hold a public debate with the authorities.
He said in December 2003, a similar public debate was held to discuss about road safety which was also attended by Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, who was then the Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Minister.
"The question of inaction must be answered. We are trying to push for integration among all transport agencies to act effectively," he said, adding that the association had contacted Phang to contribute its views for the coming public debate.
