KUALA LUMPUR: The proposal for subsidies for the purchase of child restraint seats will be tabled to the Selangor state government to help ease the burden of the B40 group, according to Selangor Consumer Affairs exco Hee Loy Sian.
Hee, who is also the Kajang Assemblyman and Selangor Environment, Green Technology, Science, Technology and Innovation and Consumer Affairs committee chairman, said the matter will be discussed at the state legislative council and may enable state assemblies to use its own provisions.
He believes the enforcement on the implementation of child restraint seats should be adhered to for the benefit of the people.
“However, not all families are able to provide these necessities because the seats are expensive and it is more burdensome for those who have many children,” he said during the Special Road Safety Advocacy Programme and Integrated Ops in conjunction with Chinese New Year at the Sungai Balak Toll Plaza here.
The integrated operations will begin from Jan 18 through to Feb 2. Heavy vehicles will be prohibited on the road two days before (Jan 23 and 24) the festive celebration, right up to two days after (Jan 27 and 28). The Road Transport Department and police force will be keeping a close eye on offenders.
“The purpose is to avoid the risk of accidents resulting from traffic mixing, between heavy vehicles and light vehicles, as well as to reduce traffic congestion,“ Hee explained.
Beginning January 2020, the Federal Government enforced the use of child restraint seats and made it mandatory. From July this year, car drivers ferrying children below the age of 12 in their vehicles, without using the seats, will be fined.
He urges the government to intensify its awareness campaigns and convey more information on choosing government-approved child restraint seats and its safety standards.
This year, he said government road safety campaigns will address four main areas namely education, enforcement, prevention, and observation and evaluation.
Hee also made a note of the drop in the number for road accident fatalities between 2018 and 2019.
“According to the police statistics, there was a decrease of 117 cases in 2019 with 6,167 deaths compared to 6,284 in 2018,“ he informed. Still, he reminded road users to adhere to road safety rules and regulations.
