BRUNEI-MUARA

DRIVERS and owners of heavy vehicles need to abide by the Land Transport Department’s (LTD) safety procedures to safeguard motorists.

This was highlighted by the Director of Land Transport Dr Hj Supry Hj Ladi, who led an LTD enforcement team to inspect heavy vehicles in Muara yesterday.

Speaking to the media, the director said the top three common offences committed by heavy vehicles were overloading, unsafe loading and the vehicle’s roadworthiness.

“Our number one priority, first and foremost is safety, safety of the road users,” he said.

“If the rubbers on the tires have worn out, this can determine the distance, the breaking distance for the vehicle and surely, if the rubber is good, there is ample time to break,” he said.

“Also overloading vehicles are not only hazardous to other motorists but the exceeded heavy weights can also damage the road.” He added that broken seat belts were considered non-road worthy condition as well.

Another danger the director identified was trailers abandoned on the road side. Media personnel were brought by LTD to view the roadside of the Serasa Light Industrial Complex which was littered with abandoned trailers.

“These roadside trailers if left overnight are dangerous to oncoming vehicles on the road.

He shared that these enforcements were not meant to hurt businesses but to again safeguard the driver’s safety. “These enforcements are vital. It is not just penalties for the sake of penalties, it’s meant to safeguard the public and the heavy vehicle drivers and owner’s credibility because if any mishap happens, it is under their name,” he said.

The director added the LTD and his team would continue to hold similar inspections. The director also patrolled the road with two motorcycle officers to check for any heavy vehicle violations.

Within two hours, from 8am to 10am, almost 40 heavy vehicles, including prime movers with trailers, were stopped and were reeled into the Kg Setia Ali mosque for inspection. A total of 37 commercial vehicles were inspected for various offences.

The Brunei Times