Operators may be held liable

Road users can file claims for accidents on highways

ROAD users can file claims against highway concessionaires if they are involved in an accident due to negligence caused by the concessionaires, says Deputy Works Minister Datuk Seri Abdul Rahman Mohamad.

He added that there were some instances of road accidents which were allegedly caused by actions by the highway concessionaires.

However, he said motorists must provide ample evidence that the accidents they were involved in were actually caused by the negligence of the concessionaires.

“There are many cases where concession (companies) had made compensation to motorists due to issues such as failure to repair potholes.

“The victims can file their claims if the accident occurred due to poor road conditions.

“But if it is due to action from the drivers themselves such as sleepiness or personal negligence, we will of course investigate it,” he said in reply to a supplementary question from Datuk Rosol Wahid (PN-Hulu Terengganu) during Question Time.

Highway responsibility: Motorists can file claims against highway concessionaires provided they have ample evidence that their accidents were caused by the negligence of the highway operators, says Abdul Rahman. — IZZRAFIQ ALIAS/The Star

Rosol had asked the Works Ministry to explain the types of claims that can be made against highway concessionaires when road accidents occur.

Abdul Rahman said various measures have been taken to reduce the risk of road accidents due to the presence of objects or obstacles on the highway including debris from burst lorry tyres.

He said highway concessionaires have been ordered to conduct more frequent patrols to ensure that there are no obstacles or objects on the highways that may cause accidents to motorists.

To a question whether the government has any plans to construct more highways to reduce traffic jams, especially for those travelling during the festive seasons, he said that some proposals are being studied.

“We aim to reduce traffic congestion and to shorten travel distance between major cities and states.

“For instance, for the East Coast Expressway (LPT), we are planning to connect Pelangai in Pahang to Negri Sembilan and Johor.

“And from Johor, we are planning to connect the highway to Putrajaya and a few other routes.

“This will significantly shorten the journey on the highway to Johor and Putrajaya. Several other measures are still under consideration.

“These measures are all still in the initial stages and we are conducting studies before implementing them in the future,” he added.