Road tax renewals more accurate to gauge number of vehicles in M’sia: Liow

PETALING JAYA: Road tax renewal records must be employed to give a clearer photo of the variety of cars nevertheless in use in the place, claims Tan Sri Liow Tiong Lai.

The former transportation minister was referring to a latest report that said there ended up above 33 million registered vehicles in the region.

Liow explained this figure was an exaggeration as it bundled vehicles from before Independence.

“I am absolutely sure the quantity of vehicles on the street is not extra than the population as it includes registered vehicles from the British colonial times.

“The report has a misleading heading as it does not portray the correct photograph of the auto population,” information portal FMT quoted him as declaring on Sunday (June 12).

Road Transportation Department (JPJ) director-typical Datuk Zailani Hashim experienced explained not too long ago that the department experienced administered 33.05 million vehicles in the earlier 75 decades because it was integrated as the Registrar and Inspector of Motor Automobiles.

“The government should established the points ideal and the JPJ should deliver the accurate image by making use of the newest street tax renewal data to validate the quantities.

He added that a “demise certification” for inactive or disused motor vehicles could also be established to know the precise selection of lively motor vehicles in the place.

Previous Street Safety Section director-basic Abd Ghafar Yusof stated it was the usual apply to incorporate pre-Independence quantities in the country’s figures on automobiles.

“This practice was there until I retired (in 2016) and I never realize why it is continue to getting utilised nowadays,” he said.

He included that the figure was utilised to work out the ratio of street fatalities as opposed to quantity of cars in the country.

“I have requested the Transport Ministry numerous periods to use the most recent highway tax renewal database to go alongside with the claimed amount of highway accidents and fatalities as one of the indexes of road safety,” he explained, adding that the recommendation had yet to be adopted.