THE government may ban motorcycles on the North-South Expressway if motorcyclists continue to flout traffic rules, Work Minister Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu said.

He said such a move would be necessary if motorcyclists failed to heed traffic rules and endangered the live of other motorists.

"Yesterday, I sow high-powered motorcycles on the Plus expressway and (the motorcyclists) were going at 170km per hours. The were four of them riding and racing in two lanes," he said during a visit to the site of the Jalan Ipoh-Lumut upgrading project at Bota in Parit yesterday.

Samu Vellu said expressways were not racing circuits for motorcyclists and that he would meet with the motorcycle owners association on the proposed action.

The government, he said, had undertaken various measures to enhance the safety of road users and reduce the accident rate and motorcyclists should consider the safety of other motorists on the expressway, especially those who pay the toll fee. 

"Other motorists have to pay but motorcyclists don't have to. Since it is free for them, they should exercise caution," he added.

In another development, Samy Vellu said the Public Works Department had erected 16 watch towers for the police nationwide at a cost of RM1.5 million.

The watch towers were ready in June and had been handed over to the police while the PWD would continue to carry out maintenance of the towers, he added.