Aye to rubberised roads for our highways

IT is heartening to read the report “Plans for tougher rubberised roads in the works, says Mah” (The Star, Jan 30) on Plantation Industries and Commodities Minister Datuk Seri Mah Siew Keong saying that plans were in place to change some small roads and parts of certain highways this year into rubberised roads.

The June 30, 2012 edition of the Economist in an article titled “When the rubber hits the road” reported that: “Around one heart attack in 50... is caused by chronic exposure to loud traffic, according to World Health Organization. By adding rubber ‘crumbs’ (mainly from used tyres) to bitumen and crushed stones to make asphalt... quieter streets... cuts traffic noise by around 25%”. The report also stated that some countries already have many kilometres of such roads.