The report, released on the transport ministry’s website today, said investigations had revealed gaps in the safety management and operational practices of the tipper lorry.
It said that the lorry, at the time of the incident, was carrying 40,960kg of gravel, exceeding the permitted limit of 24,000kg by 70.67%.
The report also said that the lorry had failed the road transport department’s inspection and safety audit, scoring only 15% against the passing mark of 70%, and failing in all seven mandatory criteria.
The firm operating the lorry, Tashveen Trading, also lacked a safety supervisor as required by the department of occupational safety and health.
As for the FRU truck, the report highlighted several safety concerns including a lack of seat belts for both the front and rear seats, and a similar lack of headrests in the rear passenger area.
“The absence of these safety features significantly increases the risk of injury and death,” the report said.
It also found that the lorry was carrying a mixed load – goods and passengers – in the rear area, further increasing the risk of injury to passengers in the event of a collision.
The task force, formed last month, was set up to investigate the cause of the accident and identify proposals to improve road safety aspects.
The 8.40am crash on May 13, which left two FRU officers critically injured, occurred when the gravel-laden lorry collided with the FRU truck transporting personnel who were returning from a security deployment in Ipoh.
“Based on preliminary investigations, the primary cause of the incident was identified as the action of the tipper lorry driver who entered the opposite lane, resulting in a collision with the FRU truck,” the report said.
It also said that further investigations were ongoing to identify additional contributing factors, including human, organisational, vehicle-related, and other relevant elements.
The Land Public Transport Agency revoked the operating licence of Tashveen Trading last month after finding that the firm had committed multiple safety breaches, including transporting goods not authorised under its vehicle permit.
Recommendations
The task force also revealed a slew of recommendations, including ensuring full compliance with seat belt usage in all government-owned vehicles and encouraging the use of buses instead of trucks to transport personnel.
The report also recommended implementing an integrated monitoring system for commercial vehicles, incorporating technology such as the global navigation satellite system, dashboard cameras, and relevant real-time monitoring systems.
Additionally, the report recommended exploring the use of artificial intelligence in land public transport control and operations.
The task force recommended that the government reassess a proposal to establish a Malaysian Transport Safety Board (MTSB) as an independent body to coordinate transport investigation and safety recommendations in Malaysia.
Following major transport tragedies such as the 2013 Genting Highlands bus crash, there were calls to expand the Air Accident Investigation Bureau’s (AAIB) mandate to cover all transport modes – road, rail, maritime, and aviation – by creating a MTSB, similar to bodies in the US and Australia.
By 2015, the transport ministry had announced plans to set up such a board, with frameworks and guidelines drafted and the proposal moving through government channels.
In 2017 and again in 2019, efforts were renewed to transform the AAIB into the broader MTSB, but the process was delayed by the Covid-19 pandemic and deferred again in 2022.