Modern force: Starting next month, an additional 100 BWDs will be used by JPJ officers to strengthen enforcement. — Bernama
PUTRAJAYA: In its massive crackdown on overloaded lorries, the Road Transport Department (JPJ) has launched a nationwide operation, deploying enforcement teams armed with pistols and body-worn cameras to deter intimidation by tontos or hired thugs.
Transport Minister Anthony Loke said the large-scale operation will target heavy vehicles flouting weight limits across five zones, namely north, south, east, central and Borneo.
He said each state will deploy four JPJ enforcement teams to monitor known hotspots where overloaded lorries frequently operate and carry high-risk loads such as rocks, sand, soil, silica, coal, metal, timber logs and oil palm products.
Menteri Pengangkutan Anthony Loke
Loke said most of the rogue operators were found to be active at quarries, sea ports and locations concentrated with heavy industry businesses.
He said enforcement officers involved in the operation will be equipped with bodycams and firearms to protect themselves and deter encounters with tontos who employed aggressive tactics to obstruct them from carrying out their duties.
Tontos are thugs who act as lookouts or informers hired by illegal or non-compliant transport businesses to keep watch for enforcement officers and intimidate them when they perform their duties.
“With four teams from every state, each zone will have 12 active teams carrying out continuous operations.
“This problem has persisted for far too long, causing massive damage to our roads and putting other motorists at risk. It has to stop now.
“Repeat offenders will not only be fined but will also have their lorry operating permits suspended or revoked permanently.
“We have to resort to such stern action as certain operators are undeterred by the summonses issued to them, as they consider it as “operating costs”.
“We will no longer compromise as this has become a very serious matter and there is a desperate need to address it,” he said during a press conference at the Transport Ministry headquarters here yesterday after a special gathering and corruption-free pledge ceremony.
Loke said the all-out enforcement push follows a recent finding that nearly 55% of 500 “high-risk” goods transport operators had repeatedly broken traffic laws, particularly by overloading their vehicles, which resulted in extensive damage to roads nationwide and jeopardised the safety of other road users.
He said to cope with the intensity of the operation, the JPJ will maximise the deployment of its enforcement officers and have allocated an additional RM8mil for overtime pay.
He said that from next month, an additional 100 body-worn cameras (BWD) will be used by JPJ enforcement officers who go on duty.
“The BWD will enable evidence-based enforcement and ensure every action taken in the field is recorded, evaluated and monitored. This will also help deter slander and false accusations against JPJ officers,” Loke said.
He said RM500,000 had also been allocated to upgrade the JPJ’s firearm arsenal with the purchase of 60 new pistols.
Loke said until August this year, 160 errant transport companies had their permits either suspended or revoked by the Land Public Transport Agency (Apad) – an 18-fold increase in enforcement compared to 2019, when only nine companies were reprimanded.
On another matter, Loke said the renewal of driving licences rose steeply by 38% since the Budi RON95 petrol subsidy programme was announced on Sept 22, with 350,967 licences renewed as of Oct 8.
Under the programme, motorists must possess a valid driving licence to be eligible for the RON95 petrol subsidy.
Loke said the JPJ also collected RM4.1bil in revenue through 41 million transactions as of September this year, which surpassed last year’s total of RM3.9bil.
He said the three main contributors to the revenue were motor vehicle licence (LKM) renewals, competent driving licence (CDL) renewals and tenders for vehicle registration numbers.
