By ROYCE CHEAH

PETALING JAYA, MALAYSIA: The Government's move to rate the safety of roads is timely because frequent users claim some accidents are definitely caused by bad road design.

Pan Malaysian Bus Operators Association president Datuk Ashfar Ali said the move to rate the roads showed the Government was serious in rectifying the situation.

"I'm glad this is being done and it will also make motorists more aware (of road conditions)," he said.

Ashfar suggested that, as a short-term measure, more signages should be erected to warn about the blackspots.

However, in the long run, such roads must be re-designed, he added.

Pan Malaysian Lorry Operators Association president Er Sui See hoped the Government would walk the talk.

"They always have big plans but never follow up," he said.

Er said the issue of bad road design contributing to accidents had been brought up during meetings with the Works Department.

"Some roads are just so badly designed," he added.

Ashfar and Er were commenting on a report that Malaysian roads would be rated for safety on a five-star scale under the International Road Assessment Programme.

Some 3,800km out of about 80,000km of roads have already been rated.

Malaysian Institute for Road Safety Research director-general Prof Dr Ahmad Farhan Mohd Sadullah said road conditions were not the only factor when it came to road accidents.

The institute and the Works

Department are evaluating the safety of the roads.

"But having done the study, some of the roads would require upgrading works. The results will help us identify what needs improving to make safer roads."

A frequent road user, Susan Quah, said highways were good but the roads in the Sg Besi area where she lives were full of potholes.

"Dozens of patch-up jobs are done but, after a few days, these will break up to reveal potholes again due to poor workmanship." she added.

-- The Star / Asia News Network