Stop double standard in transport industry

KUCHING: Pan-Malaysia Lorry Owners’ Association (PMLOA) wants the Road Transport Department (JPJ) to stop practising double standard in enforcing rules in the transport industry.

“The standard maximum load or berat dengan muatan (BDM) is 44 tonnes per truck but some big companies are allowed to carry up to carry 60 to 70 tonnes.

“We have lodged a complaint with the Ministry of Transport and JPJ.

JPJ promised that it would look into the issue but until today nothing has been done,” president of PMLOA Er Sui See told a news conference here yesterday.

He added that such unhealthy practice had gone on for a couple of months.

Er questioned why the authorities concerned allow certain companies to overload (exceed 44 tonnes per truck).

“Overloading is a very serious problem in this country. I can say more than 50 per cent of lorry owners and drivers throughout the country are involved.”

He believed the authorities were aware of the situation but no stern action was taken.

“Only small ants ‘kena’ (action taken against) and big mice are freed. Some of our officers implement selective enforcement and this happens everywhere in Malaysia.

“We do not make accusations and we do have hard evidence to prove it,” he said.

Under the Road Transport Act, no overloading should be allowed even if transport companies claim the authorities allow them to do so, he pointed out.

He said manufacturers throughout the nation play a pivotal role in eradicating such unhealthy practice.

“If big manufacturing companies do not allow lorry owners or drivers to overload, overloading will no longer be an issue.

“Moreover, some manufacturers were awarded ISO certificates.

If these ISO award recipients do not comply with the standard, the authorities should take the certificates away.

Why can’t this be done?” he asked.

Er, however, said the government was in the midst of reviewing BDM, to increase from 44 tonnes to 53 tonnes. He said this 20 per cent increase in permitted weight would make the industry players happy.

He claimed that Malaysia is the only country in the world not to involve police in enforcement activities related to the transport industry.

“We also learn that a Land Transport Commission (LTC) will soon be set up to take over the enforcement job and issuance of licences for the transport industry.”

For safe healthy environment (SHE), he called on the government to do away with import duty and sales tax so that lorry operators nationwide could afford new vehicles.

“To practise SHE, the government must play a part. A lot of lorries are over 30 years and if the government wants to help the industry, abolish the import duty and sales tax.

“At the moment, we cannot afford to buy new vehicles because each truck costs RM300,000 to RM400,000.

With new engine, trucks will not emit black smoke, whichis harmful to the environment,” he explained.

Er also lamented that it had become more difficult for lorry operators to  purchase insurance policies as the government had introduced an insurance consortium.

“According to the consortium, we still need to pay for workman compensation insurance (WCI) – why do we need this when we already have Socso (Social Security Organisation)? ” It is not fair to us to pay so much.

This additional expense increases the burden of the industry and in the end consumers suffer, simply because we are not a social welfare organisation,” he said.

He said the association had written to Bank Negara to look into the problem so insurance companies would offer insurance schemes to lorry operators, instead of going to the insurance consortium.

“We propose to the government to stop this insurance consortium thing. Because of this consortium, many insurance companies turned down our policy applications,” he said, adding that this had continued for two years.

Among those present were PMLOA deputy president Kan Cheong Leong, secretary-general Lee Far Li, vice-presidents Leow Hock Tiap and Jong Foh Jit who is also president of Sarawak Lorries Transport Association.