When I first came across the news that a heavy vehicle hit a pedestrian bridge on Jalan Utama Berakas last week, it got me thinking if it might be time to revise our road rules and regulations.
At present, vehicles of all shapes and sizes have access to all the roads in the country, which is problematic in several ways. For one, heavy vehicles, such as industrial trucks, are often the culprits of road damages, making their frequented stretches more dangerous for motorists. Then, there are bridges designed for students and other pedestrians, which tend to provide too low a clearance for trailer trucks.
Thankfully, the incident happened the night before the start of a school break. Imagine the nightmare of a situation that would have awaited unsuspecting parents who had to drop their children off at school.
Nevertheless, it is time to limit these heavy vehicles’ access to public roads. Putting up signs at bridges is only effective if the drivers are aware of the height of their vehicles and chart their routes accordingly. It was a stroke of luck that it happened at night, when the traffic in the area was light. It would have been a very different news report, had it occurred at a time when there were more road users.
Peanut Man
