by BERNAMA/ pic by BLOOMBERG
PLUS Malaysia Bhd, which operates the Penang Bridge, is looking into installing average speed cameras on the bridge as an additional enforcement measure to deter speeding on the crossing.
Its COO Zakaria Ahmad Zabidi said PLUS is currently working together with the Road Transport Department (JPJ) to instal such cameras, which would capture the speed and registration details of vehicles entering and exiting the bridge.
“The average speed of a vehicle will be calculated to determine whether it was speeding or not and this is one of our enforcement strategies,” he said when interviewed on the sidelines of the Highway Concessions Conference 2019 at a leading hotel in Teluk Kumbar, Georgetown.
He added that PLUS is also awaiting the outcome of a road safety audit it had carried out on the bridge in order to determine measures to be taken to enhance the safety features on the bridge.
“Although we have already complied with all the engineering standards for the bridge, we are also conducting our own road safety audit. From the audit, we will act accordingly if there is a need (to add more safety measures),” he said.
Safety concerns arose among bridge users following an incident where a car, allegedly driven at high speed, collided with another vehicle before plunging off the bridge and into the sea last February, killing its driver.
Zakaria said PLUS has always placed safety as paramount importance and through this emphasis, only 2.4% of over 13,000 accidents recorded nationwide last year occurred on its concession highway.
“We take pride in incorporating safety into whatever we do and also take pride (in) the PLUS Expressway being one the safest highways in the country. We broadly put together three elements that we always focus on which we call 3E; enforcement, engineering and education,” he said.
These elements prevailed through PLUS’ continuing collaboration with enforcement authorities such as JPJ and the police, adoption of new technology for the maintenance of its expressway and facilities, and holding of regular safety awareness campaigns, he added.
Meanwhile, Bahrain has expressed an interest in importing Proton Holdings Bhd ‘s latest model, the X70. Entrepreneur Development Minister Datuk Seri Mohd Redzuan Md Yusof said he found, during his recent working visit to Bahrain, that the country was keen on strengthening bilateral relations and Proton could benefit from this.
“Besides Bahrain, Proton can also look to enter the (eastern) European market,” he said after the launch of Koperasi Harapan Bhd (KHB) yesterday.
Mohd Redzuan said he has already conveyed Bahrain’s interest to Proton and it was up to the company to pursue the matter.
“As entrepreneurs, we have to think of how to tap the overseas market and benefit from it,” he added.
Meanwhile, on the launch of KHB, he said it would create healthy competition among Angkatan Koperasi Kebangsaan Malaysia Bhd members.
“KHB will also offer an e-wallet app that comprises digital transactions, market space, al-rahnu, promotion, credit offerings and secure transactions,” he said.
The e-wallet is expected to be launched in three months’ time, pending approval from the relevant authorities, including the Securities Commission Malaysia and Bank Negara Malaysia.
Mohd Redzuan also said KHB has proposed an entrepreneurship college to boost the quality of young entrepreneurs in the country.
“We have about 6.5 million co-op members nationwide. I believe this will benefit the whole community and boost the contribution towards building the nation’s economy,” he added.
Sumber: The Malaysian Reserve