KUALA LUMPUR: Cranes and tow-trucks will be on standby at strategic locations on expressways to immediately clear vehicles involved in accidents during the festive season.  

This is part of a package of measures undertaken to ensure safer road travel during the Hari Raya holidays, said Works Minister Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu. 

He also said that heavy vehicles would not be allowed on the expressways three days before and after Hari Raya.  

PLUS released a travel advisory to motorists plying the North-South Expressway for the Merdeka weekend and would be doing the same for Hari Raya next week.  

Traffic congestion is mainly due to toll collection at the exits. Not all motorists have Touch 'n Go cards.  

For cash payment, it would ease congestion if motorists present the exact amount when paying toll. PLUS should publish the toll rates in the newspapers so that motorists can cooperate and be ready with the exact amount.  

I REFER to "Samy: Motorcyclists may be banned from expressways" (The Star Online, Oct 1). 

We are still reeling from the Auditor-General's report showcasing inappropriate spending of public funds, and now we have the Works Minister himself announcing the building of 16 watchtowers for the Police at a cost of RM1mil (which amounts to RM62,500 each).  

WITH the fuel price increase, one would imagine toll operators rubbing their hands in glee. Road users are a bunch of fellows with economic sense, it will tell them that it is cheaper to pay toll then to detour.  

But, the toll was increased, though not to the full contract amount to ease the burden on motorists. The Government had to compensate the toll operators for the difference.  

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.

THE proposal to ban high- powered motorcycles on the North-South Highway by Works Minister Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu received a mixed reaction from the public.

When The Malay Mail conducted a street poll yesterday, some supported the proposal saying that superbikes were a menace on the highways. Others said superbikes are supposed to run at high speed on the highways.

Samy Vellu was quoted as saying that the move is necessary as the motorcyclists endangered the lives of other highway users.

Here are the their views:

KUALA LUMPUR: Negligence is the most likely cause of the collapse of eight concrete beams of an uncompleted flyover along the Kajang-Seremban Highway (Kaseh), near Pajam, last Thursday. 

Works Minister Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu said this was the finding of the investigations by the Malaysian Highway Authority and several other agencies.

"We understand there was general negligence on the part of the project contractor, IJM, when the accident took place at night.

KUALA LUMPUR- The Public Works Department (PWD) will be working with road safety related enforcement agencies from Oct 7 to 20 to help reduce accidents on the North-South Expressway (NSE) and all its highways.

Work Minister Datuk seri S. Samy Vellu said the department?s patrolling teams will not only monitor the highway?s road condition but also help to report road accidents and monitor the traffic flow.

SUNGAI BULOH: Kadar tol di semua lebuh raya tidak akan dinaikkan selagi kajian mengenai cadangan kenaikan membabitkan tujuh pemegang konsesi belum diserahkan kepada Kabinet, Menteri Kerja Raya, Datuk Seri S Samy Vellu. 

"Kita tidak akan menaikkan kadar tol walaupun selepas 1 Januari depan selagi belum dapat kelulusan Jemaah Menteri," katanya kepada pemberita selepas merasmikan Kempen Keselamatan Jalan Raya di kawasan Rehat dan Rawat (R&R) Restoran Jejantas Sungai Buloh, di sini semalam. 

Kadar bayaran tol di semua lebuh raya tidak akan dinaikan selagi kajian mengenai cadangan kenaikan  membabitkan tujuh pemegang konsesi belum diserahkan kepada  Kabinet.

Menteri Kerja Raya, Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu berkata, kadar bayaran tol di semua lebuh raya  tidak akan dinaikkan selagi kajian mengenai cadangan kenaikan membabitkan tujuh pemegang konsesi belum diserahkan kepada Kabinet.

"Kita tidak akan menaikkan kadar tol walaupun kadar tol  walaupun selepas 1 Januari depan selagi belum dapat kelulusan jemaah menteri," katanya.