PETALING JAYA: A balance should be struck between compliance and enforcement to effectively target overloaded heavy vehicles, says the Master Builders Association Malaysia (MBAM).
MBAM president Oliver HC Wee proposed an enforcement framework that incentivises compliance without crippling the construction sector.
The framework, he said, can be developed through a potential task force comprising the Road Transport Department, Transport Ministry, Construction Industry Development Board Malaysia (CIDB), Investment, Trade and Industry Ministry, and industry stakeholders.
“Here, a phase compliance plan balancing enforcement with support can be crafted.
“Tax incentives or grants to modernise haulage fleets can complement this while also easing the financial burden on firms.
“Training programmes can also be developed to tackle shortages in heavy vehicle drivers, turning compliance into a shared and sustainable success for all,” he said when contacted.
While expressing support for road safety initiatives and protecting national infrastructure, he noted that stringent enforcement measures outlined for essential vehicle transporter categories could pose severe risks to the construction sector’s operational viability.
“The crackdown on haulage vehicles has profoundly escalated our members’ logistics costs and will disrupt material deliveries.
“The crackdown has affected deliveries of building and quarry materials such as cement, sand and aggregates across the five operational zones (North, Central, South, East and Borneo).
“This has led to project delays, increased labour idle time and potential contractual penalties,” he added.
Wee said there should be a grace period for compliance to ensure practical mitigation measures by the authorities.
To address the overloading issue more efficiently, Universiti Putra Malaysia’s Assoc Prof Dr Law Teik Hua suggested implementing On-Board Weighing (OBW) technology as a mechanism to prevent overloading before it occurs.
Law, who heads the Road Safety Research Centre, said the OBW also prevents time wastage on bypass routes and the associated costs.
He said the OBW system is a perfect complement to the Transport Ministry’s proposed HS-Wim (High Speed-Weight in Motion) system.
“This can create a two-layered approach: OBW acts as a preventive tool, allowing drivers to avoid overloading at the source, while HS-Wim serves as an efficient enforcement net on the highways.
“Together, they shift the sector from reactive punishment to proactive prevention, fostering a culture of safety and creating a more efficient logistics environment for everyone,” he added.
Law said the government must look beyond punitive measures and create a supportive environment that can embed this compliance within the culture of this sector as a whole.
“The government can lead this by providing common infrastructure, such as subsidised or encouraged installation of certified weigh bridges at large industrial estates and ports, making pre-trip inspections easily and conveniently available.
“One of the most essential aspects is holding consignors (shipments’ original owners; those who hire/call the transport providers) responsible for their actions and illegalities, and extending this responsibility through the value chain,” he said.
Law said haulage and logistics companies must look into road safety compliance as a form of investment as well.
“Companies may have to carefully reassess their rate structures. Charging one rate for all, irrespective of weight, is no longer tenable going forward.
“There has to be transparent and multi-rate structures that genuinely reflect the actual expenses of haulage of heavier volumes, meaning that commercial imperative is now on consignors to get this just right as well,” he said.
