What is the government doing to curb rising road accidents?

Should we hold the government accountable for the soaring road number of accidents and fatal tragedies on Malaysian roadways? 

Politicians should wake up to the harsh reality that law-abiding road users may hold the government responsible for the crisis on our roads today. 

Now and then, we come across media reports of some ‘operasi’ (crackdown), carried out by the police and the Road Transport Department. But we do not see any convincing improvements on our roads, which are turning into ‘killing fields’. 

Malaysian roads are inundated with overloaded lorries, recklessly speeding vehicles, dangerous lane-cutting and overtaking; vehicles that are not roadworthy with questionable approvals; and the Mat Rempit menace.

We often see the abuse of emergency lanes and motorists beating traffic lights.

These are becoming common sights along roads across the country. 

They seem to prove that current policies and laws are inadequate to address the crisis.

So we should be seeing some urgency and action taken by MPs in Parliament. Yet, is this happening?

If the police are understaffed and lack patrol cars and motorbikes, why is this the case?

Is the government living in fear of a transport industry boycott in response to frequent police clampdowns? Are they in fearful of commercial vehicle owners who do not keep their lorries, vans and buses in good shape or who do not take steps to ensure their drivers observe road rules?

When potholes are not repaired fast enough, why are local authorities and highway concessionaire operators not hauled up? Is the government’s indifference to blame? 

Law-abiding road users are getting annoyed and losing hope in the government, given the decades of negligence and indifference to the growing tragic situations on our roads. 

When will we see effective measures taken and implemented? 

Or should we accept the government’s explanation that the volume of motor vehicles has outgrown the capacity of our roads and so the rise in road accidents is inevitable?

The responsibility of resolving this situation has now landed on the Madani (civil and compassionate) government.