Aging roads challenge Malaysia's road safety efforts

The aging condition of Malaysia's road infrastructure presents a major challenge in maintaining road safety, stated Works Minister Datuk Seri Alexander Nanta Linggi. A considerable portion of the nation's roads have deteriorated over time, losing their original strength and becoming more prone to damage.

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Our country's road assets, we cannot deny, have aged significantly, and are no longer strong enough to support the needs of heavy vehicles in this modern era.

This aging infrastructure means roads may struggle to support the weight of modern heavy vehicles. The Minister emphasized that increasing weight limits is not feasible without considering the actual condition of these older roads. "Our country's road assets, we cannot deny, have aged significantly, and are no longer strong enough to support the needs of heavy vehicles in this modern era," he said.

Linggi noted that this issue is a key factor in efforts to reduce road accidents. The government is taking the high number of road fatalities seriously, with statistics from the Malaysian Institute of Road Safety Research (MIROS) indicating approximately 18 deaths occur daily nationwide. Various strategies have been proposed and agreed upon to mitigate these accidents and loss of life.

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However, we cannot simply increase the weight limit without considering the condition of our roads, which are old and less sturdy.

Addressing the maintenance and repair of these aging roads requires substantial financial resources and advanced technology. However, government allocations are limited and must align with the nation's economic capacity. Consequently, the Ministry of Works is exploring more innovative approaches.

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That (road assets) is one of the factors taken seriously to reduce road accident incidents.

Linggi highlighted the need for industry players, including road maintenance contractors and highway concessionaires, to adopt digital technologies and artificial intelligence (AI). This integration aims to enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of construction and maintenance work, potentially without requiring significant increases in funding. "We must be more innovative and resourceful. We use digital technology or AI and so on," he added.

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Many strategies have been presented and agreed upon for us to reduce accident incidents and loss of life.