Malaysians up in arms over proposal to put age limit on vehicles

KUALA LUMPUR – The proposal by a group of researchers to impose a 10-year age limit on vehicles to resolve traffic congestion has triggered the ire of many Malaysians, as they took to social media to vent their displeasure.

Among many things, netizens took issue with the experts’ opinion, which they claimed to have disregarded the financial status for the majority of Malaysians today who are already bogged down by inflation.

Additionally, they said the proposal also makes no sense seeing that many of the vehicles aged over a decade are still in good condition, while the public transportation system is also lagging behind.

Aid Fawzal, an engineer with Koch Engineered Solutions based in the United Kingdom, said the suggestion to dispose of cars based on their age, as is being implemented in Singapore and Japan, is not suitable in the Malaysian context.

Instead, he proposed that any decision to dispose of vehicles should be based on their roadworthiness, including their brake system, suspension and engine.

“In doing so, only vehicles in good condition can qualify to be driven on roads, while those that don’t fulfil the roadworthiness requirements can be rid of,” The Vibes’ sister portal Getaran quoted him as saying through Facebook.

Aid, who is a PhD graduate in automotive cooling system and motorsports, also said if the proposal is to be implemented, vehicle prices should be reduced, as it would be unreasonable to dispose of a car with a nine-year loan after just 10 years of use.

The suggestion was first mooted last week by a team of researchers from Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, led by Head of Traffic Psychology and Road Safety Prof Rozmi Ismail, who said disposing 10-year-old vehicles could be the answer to the current traffic woes in the city centre.

Transport Minister Datuk Seri Wee Ka Siong had said on Sunday that the proposal needs further scrutiny and that for it to be implemented, the country’s public transport network system needs to be improved first.

Like Wee, Facebook user, Zuraida Montazali, believes the better solution to reducing congestion is to build a public transportation system that is more conducive, including in high-populated and strategic locations.

She was quoted by Getaran as citing the Sg Buloh MRT station as an example, noting how the station was constructed when the population in the area was still relatively low but is now seeing full public utilisation.

“For most, it will take 30 to 40 minutes to even drive to a station, and another 30 minutes to an hour of train ride to the capital,” she noted.

Another user Jeff Tacra pointed out that there are many aged vehicles on the road that are still in top condition, adding that many Malaysians cannot afford to dispose of their cars and take on new loans.

“I, too, have a car that is over 10 years old and is still on the road as usual. I cannot bring myself to sell it, what more to end its life.” – The Vibes, June 21, 2022