REMBAU: Beginning this year, the Road Transport Department (JPJ) will take a new approach to reduce accidents and deaths caused by road accidents by making road safety a collective social responsibility.
As such, director-general Datuk Seri Ismail Ahmad said the responsibility to reduce road accidents would no longer be borne solely by law enforcement agencies such as the JPJ, police and the Land Public Transport Commission, but must also be borne by the community.
“We are planning to provide a platform for members of the public by forming the 1JPJ Skuad Muda to come together and take responsibility in maintaining road safety.
“Besides that, we also hope to nurture a spirit of volunteerism, solidarity and patriotism among members of the 1JPJ Skuad Muda. Our main objective is to jointly take responsibility in reducing road accidents and fatalities,” he told reporters at the closing of the Rembau District One Community, One RTD (SKSJ) programme here yesterday.
The ceremony was officially closed by Negeri Sembilan state assembly speaker Datuk Dr Awaludin Said.
Ismail said currently, the 1JPJ Skuad Muda had about 67,000 members.
“We hope that by year-end, we will have a membership of 100,000 and ultimately, our goal is have 500,000 members,” he added.
Meanwhile, Ismail said 474,000 road accidents were recorded in 2013 and the number increased to 480,000 last year.
Although the number of accidents increased, the number of fatalities decreased from 6,915 deaths in 2013 to 6,674 in 2014, he noted.
The SKSJ programme is aimed at helping the rural community, especially those above 45 years of age, obtain probationary (P) B2 class driving licence.
It was participated by some 330 residents in the area. — Bernama