KUALA LUMPUR: The Transport Ministry (MOT) will enforce a road ban on goods vehicles in conjunction with the Hari Raya Aidilfitri celebrations to reduce traffic congestion and the risk of traffic accidents.
The ban will take effect on April 20 and 21 (before Raya) as well as April 24 and 25 (after Raya), taking into consideration a drastic rise in traffic, especially private vehicles returning to their hometowns on federal roads, the ministry said in a statement today (April 14).
There will also be a reduction in the national speed limit to 80km an hour on federal roads throughout Malaysia.
The Road Transport Department will conduct strict enforcement to ensure motorists obey traffic rules to reduce the risk of accidents, said the ministry.
The road ban will affect seven types of goods vehicles - heavy trucks and dump trucks with a load of more than 7.5 tons, low transport trucks, pole trailers, platform trailers, log trucks, heavy machinery, tow trucks and tractors (except heavy machinery, tow trucks and tractors used for emergency and rescue operations).
A round-the-clock ban is also imposed on heavy trucks with a load of more than 7.5 tons, transporting cement, iron, steel, stone, sand, soil, tin ore, coal or other building materials or minerals.
A road ban from midnight to 8am will be imposed on container trucks carrying goods (except for those carrying goods to and from ports or airports and industrial zones in the same state).
The same applies for cargo lorries carrying electronic and electric goods or chemical industry materials to and from ports and airports and industrial areas in the same state.
Empty cargo lorries and lorries bearing fresh oil palm, raw palm oil products, scrap rubber and rubber will also fall under the same road ban.
Mobile cranes and cement mixers will be banned from 6pm to 6am for a 25km distance from the construction site, subject to permitted operating hours on certain roads. - Bernama
