SEREMBAN: The Road Transport Department (JPJ) issued 5,306 offence notices after inspecting 17,729 commercial and public service vehicles during a five-day Special Technical Raid Operation that concluded on Sunday (Dec 29).
Transport Ministry secretary-general Datuk Jana Santhiran Muniayan said the notices involved vehicle detentions, inspection orders and for questioning.
"Additionally, out of this total, action was taken against 1,787 vehicles, with 16 seized, 15 of which were commercial and a public service vehicle.
"JPJ is not out to find faults by issuing notices; we only aim to ensure road safety and optimal road conditions. Notices are not issued arbitrarily," he told reporters during the Special Technical Raid Operation at the Seremban Southbound Rest and Service Area on Sunday.
He said a recurring issue with commercial vehicles, such as lorries and trailers, is using unsuitable or retreaded tyres on the road.
He said this issue is a key operation focus, ensuring brakes and tyres are in proper condition. Vehicles will be stopped from continuing their journey if violations are found.
"During checks earlier, we observed several vehicles using retreaded tyres with the outer layer nearly peeling off. Suppose these come off while on the road, it could pose significant danger to road users. This is precisely the situation we aim to prevent," he said.
Meanwhile, Jana Santhiran said that JPJ has deployed over 1,500 personnel nationwide to strengthen enforcement of trade-related offences, including overloading, technical issues, documentation and traffic violations, particularly during festive seasons.
"We have increased the number of personnel. Previously, it was fewer than 1,000 officers, but now we have deployed them to highways, urban roads, and other areas, especially during festive periods,” he said.
He also advised all heavy vehicle drivers to place cones or road barriers when their vehicles stop in emergency lanes due to breakdowns to signal other road users.
"Recently, there have been several accidents caused by lorry drivers failing to use cones or place them behind their vehicles to indicate an emergency stop. I hope everyone pays full attention to road safety regulations," he said. - Bernama
