PETALING JAYA: More formal engagements are needed before the authorities roll out its new brake parameter inspections, says the Association of Malaysian Hauliers (AMH).
AMH secretary Mohd Azuan Masud said they have appealed to both the Road Transport Department and Puspakom to hold technical briefings with industry stakeholders before introducing these inspection elements.
ALSO READ: Uncertainty over lorry brake checks
“This is essential to ensure the industry clearly understands acceptable operational parameters and to avoid unintended disruptions while maintaining the shared objective of improving road safety,” said Mohd Azuan, who supported the call for its members to use only qualified workshops for maintenance.
“At the same time, clear communication, engagement and transition support are critical to ensure consistent compliance and fair outcomes for operators who have acted in good faith based on previous inspection norms,” he added.
Mohd Azuan also said since the introduction of Puspakom inspections in Malaysia, the industry’s common approach to trailer drum brake adjustment has evolved around ensuring the braking system meets inspection requirements.
“Most trailer drum brake systems do not provide a clear, standardised indicator of the remaining brake lining/pad or drum condition.
“As a result, operators have historically tended to adjust settings conservatively to avoid borderline results during inspection.
“With the new inspection criteria now also flagging over-tight settings as a failure criterion, AMH is concerned that a significant number of otherwise roadworthy vehicles may fail inspections due to legacy adjustment practices that were previously accepted and widely adopted across the industry,” he said.
Braking system integrity came into focus with the release of the comprehensive accident investigation report of the June 9 Gerik chartered bus crash last year that killed 15 Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris students.
Several factors leading to the accident were outlined in the 188-page report, released by the Transport Ministry on Jan 23.
Brake failure was listed as one of them, though it had more to do with grease contamination of brake linings, inconsistent brake lining material composition and excessive wear of the rear left brake drum.
“The failure of the bus braking system, which was contaminated and inconsistent, combined with driving at speeds exceeding safe limits, led to a loss of vehicle control.
“Challenging road conditions, weaknesses in the design and installation of road barriers and the structural failure of the bus cabin further increased the severity of the impact and the resulting injuries,” the report read.
Other than the 15 students who died, the incident also left 33 others injured, making it the deadliest road accident in Malaysia since the 2013 Genting Highlands bus crash that killed 37.
