THE Road Transport Department (RTD) has impounded 21 heavy vehicles for violating the recently enforced driving ban on goods vehicles, marking the first day of its application during the Aidilfitri period.
RTD Director-General Datuk Aedy Fadly Ramli, revealed that 62 heavy vehicles were found to be in breach of the restriction during a nationwide operation aimed at enforcing the ban.
"The nationwide operation saw 62 heavy vehicles failing to comply with the restriction," Aedy Fadly stated. "We issued 41 summonses and seized 21 vehicles as per Section 59 of the Road Transport Act 1987."
The driving ban on goods vehicles, which is part of a series of regulations announced by the Ministry of Transport in anticipation of the Aidilfitri celebrations, aims to ease traffic congestion and ensure road safety during the holiday period.
RTD officers have been closely monitoring goods vehicles, with those failing to adhere to the driving ban facing strict penalties.
"If the owner or driver fails to comply with Rule 2(1) of the Road Traffic Rules (Driving Ban on Goods Vehicles) 2025, they will face a compound fine of RM300 or a court-imposed fine of up to RM2,000, or imprisonment of up to six months," Aedy Fadly explained.
The ban on heavy vehicles will remain in effect for four days: March 29 and 30, just before the start of Hari Raya, and April 5 and 6, following the holiday.
Aedy Fadly also highlighted the scale of the Hari Raya Aidilfitri operation, which has already seen a significant number of offences.
"RTD has issued 32,031 summonses over the six days of the Hari Raya Aidilfitri 2025 operation, which began on March 24," he said. "During this period, we inspected 122,655 vehicles, with 15,217 of them found to be in violation of various regulations."
The RTD chief reiterated that the department would take a firm stance against anyone found to be flouting traffic laws.
"RTD will not compromise with any vehicle owner or driver who fails to comply with regulations under the Road Transport Act 1987 (Act 333), the Land Public Transport Act 2010 (Act 715), and the rules stipulated under them," he added.
The enforcement efforts are part of the government's broader push to ensure safe travel and reduce accidents during one of the busiest travel periods of the year.- March 30, 2025
