[UPDATED] MoT raises weight Sabah lorries can carry to match peninsula  

SANDAKAN – The Transport Ministry has increased the permissible laden weight (BDM) for all types of lorries, cargo vehicles, and trailers in Sabah to be on par with that of Sarawak and Peninsular Malaysia.

Minister Datuk Seri Wee Ka Siong told The Vibes that the decision was made earlier this month, and said that it was a logical move from the ministry to ensure that the government’s policy is fair to all Malaysians.  

Before this, there was a vast difference in the BDM of commercial vehicles in Peninsular Malaysia and in Sabah, which was between 3,000kg to 13,000kg.  

“Peninsular and Sarawak (lorries) could carry 30% extra weight before this. 

“It has been a disadvantage to Sabah.  

“There is no logic because ports in Sabah allow lorries to carry these containers, and they are over 50 tonnes, but the rule disallows lorries from carrying this weight,” he said.  

Wee added that it had been a longstanding issue, and the ministry had made the decision after thorough study and careful consideration.  

He said he is confident that increasing the BDM in Sabah will not be an issue as the ports’ bridges are designed to sustain the designated weights.  

Sabah Federation of Lorry Transport Associations chairman Steven Chua thanked Wee for the decision, saying that the federation has been fighting for it for the past 20 years.  

He said taking Wee’s advice to ensure the safety of public road users, the federation will arrange meetings between the Road Transport Department and stakeholders to avoid overloading; taking actions such as issuing summons to stakeholders who encourage overloading.  

Chua said this in a meeting between the federation and Wee recently.  

Meanwhile, the federation’s secretary-general Robert Chong proposed the extension of the Driver Initiative Programme to Sabah as part of a solution to resolve the shortage of commercial vehicle drivers due to an ageing workforce.  

He said Sabah is now experiencing low productivity due to an approximate 40% shortage of commercial vehicle drivers, and the Driver Initiative Programme which is now only implemented in West Malaysia will be a great help to Sabah.  

“To meet the demand for economic growth, the transportation sector in Sabah is eager to hire or engage more drivers.  

“We propose working with a driving academy to produce lorry drivers, with the collaboration from the Road Transport Department, Commercial Vehicle Licensing Board, and transport associations,” he said at the meeting.

Concerns about actual road quality in Sabah

In May this year, Sabah Public Works Department director Ali Ahmad Hamid had attributed overloaded lorries, especially those in rural areas, and the expired service life of the state’s roads, as being among the factors causing the roads to be easily damaged. 

Explaining that every road built has a certain service life, he said the department found most of the federal roads in Sabah, especially on the Pan Borneo route, had expired service lives.

In Telupid, for instance, the service life for the badly damaged road dubbed “Jalan Bulan” (road on the moon) for its crater-like surface has expired since 2018. 

Dayak Daily had previously reported the Works Ministry as saying that the Pan Borneo Highway is categorised only under List 2 of the Weight Restriction Order (WRO), which allows a maximum load capacity of 38 tonnes, compared to List 1 highways such as those in Peninsular Malaysia, which have a WRO of 53 tonnes.

The situation therefore raises the question of whether the Transport Ministry’s decision to raise the BDM in Sabah is a good idea when the state is filled with “expired” roads, and the coming Pan Borneo Highway can possibly only take vehicles with maximum 38-tonne loads. – The Vibes, July 29, 2022