KUCHING, May 27: Democratic Action Party (DAP) Sarawak chairman Chong Chieng Jen has arranged for a seminar to be held in July by Puspakom to highlight the essential inspection requirements for lorries and commercial vehicles, operators and mechanics in Sarawak.
This came following a meeting with representatives from the Computerised Vehicle Inspection Centre (Puspakom) head office in Kuala Lumpur where they discussed various issues faced the stakeholders in Sarawak’s transportation industry.
“Puspakom will adopt a transparent approach on this matter to prevent any exploitation by unscrupulous individuals who take advantage of ambiguities in the current system.
“One key suggestion put forward during the meeting was for Puspakom inspections to focus solely on the safety-related aspects of vehicles, rather than non-safety related elements,” he said in a statement today.
Implementing this change would require amending the rules set by the Road Transport Department (JPJ), and Chong said they intended to communicate the details to the Transport Minister’s office.
Addressing the issue of long waiting times for inspections, Chong who is also Stampin MP, learned that Puspakom has implemented a policy requiring all vehicles, excluding school buses and those undergoing re-testing, to schedule appointments and allocated time slots for inspections.
“Drivers are advised to arrive at the Puspakom Inspection Centre half an hour before their allocated time, avoiding both early and late arrivals. If drivers experience delays beyond their allocated time, they are encouraged to contact Puspakom headquarters, and the matter will be promptly addressed,” he explained.
Chong added that the main focus of the discussion revolved around Puspakom’s role in ensuring the safety of lorries and commercial vehicles on the roads, benefiting both drivers and other road users.
“It is positive that the Puspakom representatives have agreed to have more interactions with the stakeholders to give more clarity on its inspection processes. We, on our part, will facilitate and arrange for such meetings to be held,” he added.
With increased transparency and fairer policies under the current Minister of Transport, Chong hopes that the long-standing issues and problems faced by lorry drivers, commercial vehicle operators, and owners regarding Puspakom inspections will be resolved soon.
Pending assemblywoman Violet Yong was also present at the meeting with Puspakom represented by its head of Marketing and Advisory Department Datuk Ooi Win Juat and head of Communication and Customer Service Department Leong Pei Yee. — DayakDaily
