Highway concessionaires liable for accidents caused by negligence, says deputy minister

KUALA LUMPUR: Road users can file claims against highway concessionaires if they are involved in an accident due to the negligence caused by them, says Datuk Seri Abdul Rahman Mohamad.

The Deputy Works Minister told the Parliament there were some instances of road accidents that were caused by the highway concessionaires themselves.

However, he added that the road users must provide concrete evidence that the accident is caused by the concessionaires.

“There are many cases where concession (companies) had made payments due to their negligence such as potholes and others.

“The victims can file their claims if the accident occurred due to the road conditions, for instance.

“But if it is due to other factors such as sleepiness or self-negligence, we will of course investigate it,” he said in reply to a supplementary question from Datuk Rosol Wahid (PN-Hulu Terengganu) during Question Time on Wednesday (Oct 25).

Rosol had asked the Works Ministry to explain the types of claims that can be made against highway concessionaires when road accidents occur.

To the initial question, Abdul Rahman said that various measures have been taken to reduce the risk of road accidents due to objects or obstacles on the highway including truck tire debris.

He said that highway concessionaires have been ordered to conduct more frequent patrols to ensure that there are no obstacles or objects on the highway that may cause accidents for the safety of road users.

Meanwhile, when asked whether the government has any plans to construct more highways to reduce traffic jams, especially for those travelling during the festive season, he said that the government was still studying such proposals.

“The proposal is aimed to reduce traffic congestion and to shorten travel distances between major cities and states.

“For instance, the East Coast Expressway (LPT), we are planning to connect Pelangai, Pahang, to Negri Sembilan and Johor.

“And from Johor, we are planning to connect it to Putrajaya and a few other connections.

“This will significantly shorten the journey from the highway to go to Johor and enter Putrajaya and several more are under our consideration.

“These are all still in its initial stages and we are conducting studies for them to be implemented in the near future,” he added.