The recent spate of road accidents involving trucks and container ships has prompted a transport expert to suggest that Malaysia should emulate Australia’s move by incorporating a legal chain of custody (CoR) framework for heavy vehicles to reduce road deaths. FMT reports.

According to Wan Agyl Wan Hassan, founder of MY Mobility Vision, the implementation of CoR in Australia, which became operational in 2014, has significantly improved accountability in the logistics sector. In effect, it makes parties other than drivers responsible – and liable – for the safety of heavy vehicles on the road.

“Implementing a CoR framework, as has been successfully done in Australia, could empower all stakeholders in the supply chain, ensuring shared responsibility for security,” he said upon publication.

According to Australia’s National Heavy Vehicle Regulator (NHVR), CoR is a legal concept used in national road transport legislation that makes parties other than drivers responsible for the safety of heavy vehicles on the road.

Under this framework, everyone working with heavy vehicles, from the company that employs a driver or owns a vehicle, to the company that sends or receives goods, is responsible for the safety of the heavy vehicle, of its driver and its cargo throughout the journey. . Penalties for those who contravene the primary duty or obligation to ensure the safety of transport activities can be up to AUD 300,000 (RM875,000) and five years’ imprisonment for individuals, and up to AUD3 million (RM8.75 million) for businesses. .

Wan Agyl pointed out that in the first three months of 2024 alone, 287 people were killed and 95 seriously injured in accidents involving heavy goods vehicles, citing figures cited in June by Deputy Transport Minister Hasbi Habibollah. “Beyond the devastating human toll, the financial burden is equally shocking, with road accidents costing the country RM25 billion in economic losses last year alone,” he said.

He also reiterated calls for the reinstitution of a centralized transport agency to replace the Land Public Transport Commission (SPAD), which was dissolved in 2018. He said the dissolution of SPAD had “fragmented” responsibility the application and development of transport policies.

“This lack of cohesion has led to inconsistent regulation and oversight, with many initiatives to manage heavy vehicle operations scattered and less efficient. We need a single agency that can provide accountability and leadership on these issues. Without this, the crisis on Malaysian roads will continue unabated,” he explained.

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