KUCHING, April 21: Selected heavy vehicles have been banned on the road during the Hari Raya Aidilfitri celebrations for smoother traffic flow.
Sarawak Ministry of Transport in announced this, welcomed the ‘Op Bersepadu JPJ’ organised by the Road Transport Department (JPJ) to increase compliance with traffic regulations to promote safe driving during the festive season.
“Goods-carrying vehicles are also banned from using the roads for two days before Hari Raya, which is April 20 and 21, and two days after the festival, which is April 24 and 25.
“There are three categories of heavy vehicles with varying ban periods – Category 1 is a full ban, Category 2 lorries are banned from midnight to 8am, and Category 3 construction vehicles are from 6pm to 6am within a 25km radius,” said the Ministry in a statement.
Vehicles that fall under Category 1 included car carriers, tipper, dumper, tipping (load of more than 7.5 tonnes), low loader, pole trailer, bulk cement tanker, platform trailer, timber lorry, heavy wheeled machinery, tractor, lorries transporting cement, iron, steel, stone, sand, soil, tin ore, coal or other building materials or minerals.
Container trucks carrying goods (except those carrying goods to and from ports or airports and industrial zones in the same state), cargo lorries carrying electronic/electric goods or industrial materials to and from ports and airports and industrial areas in the same state, lorries transporting oil palm, raw palm oil products, scrap rubber and rubber to industrial area, and empty cargo lorries are under Category 2.
Meanwhile, mobile cranes and cement mixers are considered heavy vehicles under Category 3, which are not allowed to travel within 25km distance from the construction site, subject to permitted operating hours on certain roads.
The Ministry of Transport also said that there will be exemptions for heavy machinery, tow trucks and tractors used for emergency operations.
Any goods vehicle or vehicles with types of goods not specified in the banned list are allowed to use the vehicle during the prohibition period.
“These initiatives would help to create smooth traffic movement on the road as we anticipate huge volume of traffic and vehicles as people rush home to celebrate Hari Raya.” — DayakDaily
