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Selangor RTD to focus on 23 hotspots during CNY

KUALA LUMPUR: The Selangor Road Transport Department (RTD) has identified 23 "hotspot" areas and stretches where accidents frequently happen which will be focused on throughout this year's Chinese New Year operation (Op TBC).

Selangor RTD director Datuk Khairul Khar Yahya said that 325 enforcement personnel have been assigned to carry out monitoring and inspection throughout the operation which began yesterday until Jan 27.

He said the areas would include the North South Highway (PLUS), the New Klang Valley Expressway (NKVE), Federal Highway, The North South Expressway Central Link (Elite), the Kajang Dispersal Link Expressway (SILK) and the Damansara–Puchong Expressway (LDP).

"The focus of enforcement towards the nine main offences and five additional offences include driving over the speed limit, overtaking on the double line, driving on the emergency lane, cutting queue, tailgating and using the handphone while driving.

"Other offences are not wearing safety helmets, not wearing safety belts, driving dangerously, driving without a licence and insurance," he said during a press conference here yesterday.

Khairul Khar said that this year's Op TBC wouldl be carried out with cooperation from the police, the Immigration Department, the National Anti-Drug Agency (AADK) the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC), the Department of Environment (DoE) and the highway concessionaire.

Apart from this, he said that they were also carrying out checks and inspections at the terminal and bus depots, while putting undercover personnel on buses posing as passengers.

He said that this was carried out to observe and monitor the behaviour of bus drivers throughout the journey and if they committed any offences then action would be taken.

According to Khairul Khar, among the offences frequently committed by public transport vehicle drivers are continuously driving on the right lane, and no second driver for drives exceeding 300km (kilometres) or a journey of four hours or more.

"There are also bus drivers who smoke, who do not wear shoes while driving and who use their mobile phones while driving. In fact we have even detected bus drivers who play 'online games' while driving.

"Such acts are very dangerous and risky and can cause accidents," he added.

Therefore, he said that continuous monitoring would be carried out to ensure that bus drivers obey the law and adhere to rules and regulations set for the safety and well-being of the passengers.

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