JPJ, KPDNKK in joint car accessories crackdown

The National Road Transport (JPJ) and Domestic Trade, Cooperatives and Consumerism Ministry (KPDNKK) will initiate a crackdown this year, on the sale and fixture of unauthorised car accessories.

JPJ director general Datuk Ismail Ahmad said the two authorities had already held a meeting on the joint operation.

"We have 25,000 auto accessory shops throughout the country as against more than 24 million vehicles on the road. It will be tedious for our enforcement," he told reporters after breaking fast with the JPJ workforce here last night.

He said the department have engineers and technical officers with expert knowledge in auto accessories to handle the job.

"But it would be better and more effective particularly in terms of enforcement, if we work together with KPDNKK," he said.

The media recently reported that car accessories that did not follow JPJ specifications were being sold rampantly in the country.

In response to this, the JPJ reportedly requested for some of KPDNKK's enforcement clout to curb the market. KPDNKK reportedly suggested that the two authorities conduct an integrated operation instead.

Meanwhile, Ismail said Malaysia would not be able to achieve developed nation status by 2020 if the road fatality rate remained above 2.0.

"The current death index for every 10,000 registered vehicles in Malaysia is 2.6," he said, adding that there were 480,000 road accidents involving 6,674 deaths, last year.

In this regard the department aimed to empower the 'Young Squad One JPJ by increasing the number of volunteers to 500,000 from the current 170,000, by the middle of next year.

The voluntary squad introduced in August 2013 acts as a support group to JPJ in monitoring and ensuring that road users obey traffic rules.