Dewan Negara pass Road Transport and Gas Supply Bills

KUALA LUMPUR: The Dewan Negara today passed two amendment bills namely the Road Transport Bill 2016 and the Gas Supply Bill 2016.
Deputy Transport Minister Datuk Ab Aziz Kaprawi in winding-up debate on the Road Transport (Amendment) Bill 2016 said the bill was aimed at empowering enforcement agencies to carry out their duties.
The Bill among others amended the Road Transport Act 1987 to strengthen enforcement under Act 333 by expanding the existing powers of traffic wardens, Mayor, officers or persons in the City Hall and Putrajaya Corporation.
The Bill passed by Dewan Rakyat on May 26, was also aimed at improving the implementation and effectiveness of the demerit point system to prevent traffic offenders from repeating such offences.
Ab Aziz when winding-up debate on the bill said the data base between the Road Transport Department (RTD) and other enforcement agencies would also be upgraded and be more efficient based on the agencies involved so far.
"The RTD data base is connected directly to the Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL), police, Shah Alam City Council and Petaling Jaya City Council. It is integrated to store and review records of offenders," he said.
On the issue of private vehicle escort, Ab Aziz clarified that RTD can detain vehicles which displayed or possessed assets such as siren as it was against the law.
Earlier, Senator Shahanim Mohd Yusof when debating on the bill hoped with the amendments, statistics on road accidents and traffic offenders can be reduced.
She also believed the amendment can boost traffic offender data base between RTD and police to provide information on traffic offences and offenders.
"So far we have failed to educate errant motorists who contributed to a rise in road accidents due to their negligence," she said.
Meanwhile, Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Datuk Razali Ibrahim when winding-up debate on the Gas Supply (Amendment) Bill 2016 said the amendments were to enable the scope of the regulatory body, the Energy Commission to include gas import into gasification terminal, re-gasification, transmission and retail.
He said the amendments were also aimed at implementing Third Party Access (TPA) to allow gas importers and suppliers apart from Petronas to bring in liquefied natural gas (LNG) using facilities at re-gasification terminals.
The amendment was also aimed at giving equal opportunities and enhance competitiveness among gas suppliers and consumers to enjoy more competitive and better quality services as well as the supply of gas which is more sustainable, he said.
Subsection 1(3A) was a new inclusion on safety and technical regulatory provisions in the distribution, retail and usage of gas.
The Senate will sit again tomorrow. — Bernama