Cops to step up monitoring of commercial vehicles in federal capital

KUALA LUMPUR - The police will step up monitoring operations against heavy vehicles, especially commercial vehicles in the federal capital beginning today.

Kuala Lumpur police chief Datuk Allaudeen Abdul Majid said the move was taken following a fatal accident involving 14 vehicles at KM5.7 Jalan Persiaran Utara heading towards Puchong, in Putrajaya yesterday.

"We do inspections of these heavy vehicles every day in Kuala Lumpur, but starting today, we will beef up operations, especially against commercial vehicles, in collaboration with the Road Transport Department (RTD), the Department of Environment and Kuala Lumpur City Hall.

"In addition to the travel restrictions (imposed on heavy vehicles) from 6.30 am to 9.30 am in the city centre, we will also focus on routes such as in Putrajaya and vehicles coming from Puchong, Selangor.

"If there is any incident that requires us to impound the vehicles, action will be taken...there is no compromise,” he said at a press conference on Phase Two of Op Hormat Undang-Undang Jalan Raya here today.

In the incident at about 10.15 am, two motorcyclists were killed and seven injured, while five others escaped unhurt after a sand-laden trailer rammed into 13 other vehicles that stopped on the road when the traffic police conducted a training to identify the route for the Le Tour de Langkawi (LTdL) event.

The dead victims were identified as Faris Haziq Abu Bakar, 25, a Pos Malaysia staff and Yuswar Mohd Uyus, 39, who worked in the Ampang Court.

Commenting on the crash that involved 14 vehicles, Allaudeen did not rule out negligence as the cause.

Meanwhile, he said a total of 36,432 summonses were issued for various offences during the first week of Phase Two of Op Hormat Undang-Undang Jalan Raya.

He said that traffic obstruction was the most common offence, with 27,755 summonses issued.

"We also detained 59 people for various criminal and traffic offences and seized 27 motorcycles and two lorries,” he said.

Phase Two of Op Hormat Undang-Undang Jalan Raya, which began on Sept 15 will be conducted for two weeks until Sept 29. - BERNAMA