Miros to study if more Puspakom checks needed for public vehicles

KUALA LUMPUR: The Malaysian Institute of Road Safety Research (Miros) will investigate whether the mandatory periodic inspection of public transport vehicles by the Computerised Vehicle Inspection Centre (Puspakom) needs to be done more frequently.
Miros director-general Prof Dr Wong Shaw Voon said at present inspections were only carried out twice a year, and the increase in checks would serve to improve the quality of public transport.
"It not only involves the time for the checks but also economic factors, such as additional maintenance costs to be borne by the employer if it is done more often," he told Bernama here.
He was commenting on the accident which saw an express bus crashed into 10 other vehicles at KM265.8 southbound of the North-South Expressway (PLUS) near the Menora Tunnel on Sunday, which was believed to have been due to technical problems, including brake failure.
"It not only involves the time for the checks, but also economic factors such as additional maintenance costs to be borne by the employer if it was done more often," he said.
Wong said the accident on Sunday should not be attributed to the condition of the road on the highway which was said to be dangerous, as the authorities had taken the highest possible security measures to maintain the route.
"People who use such accident prone routes such as the one near the Menora Tunnel should be more aware and responsible to ensure their safety and other road users.
"Drivers of public or private vehicles need to know what to do when passing through steep areas such as slowing down according to the speed limit set and using a low gear," he said.
This year, a total of four accidents, including the latest on Sunday, have occurred near the Menora Tunnel (southbound). Of the four accidents, two were fatal.
On January 3, a man in his 30s was seriously injured, while a six-year-old child suffered minor injuries in an accident involving five vehicles, including an express bus.
While on January 22, a lorry driver in his 40s suffered minor injuries after the tanker he was driving skidded and hit the road divider at KM264 of the highway.
On March 3, five people were killed and two injured in two accidents which took place only a few seconds apart at KM265.4 of the highway.
The first accident involved a trailer which skidded and caught fire, destroying up to 90% of its body and caused injury to its driver and attendant.
During the incident, the trailer had inadvertently crushed a car carrying a family of four. Their bodies were found in the burned car only the next day when works to move the trailer were being carried out.
The second accident claimed the life of 39-year-old lorry driver who was thrown out when the lorry he was driving skidded and hit a sign board near the location of the first accident. — Bernama