KUALA LUMPUR, April 17 — The decision to ban foreigners from driving trailer lorries in the country was made in line with the government’s stance on road safety aspects.
Chairman of the Malaysian Road and Transportation Safety Association (MRTSA) Nik Salim Nik Salleh said the ban was apt because foreigners did not receive appropriate training or early exposure regarding the road safety legislation in Malaysia.
Based on the current road accident statistics, he proposed that the government intensify its efforts to deal with problems related to road safety, especially involving the locals.
“The MRTSA supports the government’s stance on this matter because it (allowing foreigners to drive) will create additional risks to road safety in the country.
“In fact, allowing the foreigners to drive trailer lorries or any commercial vehicles will also affect the job opportunities for the locals in the sector,” he told Bernama, here today.
Meanwhile, Alliance for Safe Community chairman Tan Sri Lee Lam Thye is of the opinion that road accidents, especially involving heavy vehicles including trailers, can be reduced if safety aspects are observed by all parties.
He said it could be achieved by ensuring that all trailer lorry drivers are equipped with good driving skills through continuous training given by their employers.
“Among the causes of accidents involving trailer lorries are the drivers’ bullying behaviour and dangerous driving attitude, low level of road safety awareness and carrying excessive loads,” he said.
On April 11, Transport Minister Anthony Loke was quoted as saying that foreigners are not allowed to drive trailer lorries despite pressure from the industry for them to be allowed to drive to overcome the shortage of drivers.
Citing data on the country’s haulage for 2022, Loke said there are 766 haulage companies with 16,465 prime movers and 61,616 trailers, while the number of drivers was 12,326.
— Bernama
