MOT's Heavy Vehicle Right Lane Ban Sparked Industry Debate

The Ministry of Transportation's (MOT) recent announcement prohibiting heavy vehicles from using the right lane has sparked a significant debate, particularly among those involved in the transportation and logistics industry.

This decision has provoked a wide range of opinions from stakeholders, including truck drivers, logistics companies, and industry associations.

Transport consultant Wan Agyl Wan Hassan who spoke to NST, argues that while stricter regulations for large commercial trucks may be warranted, prohibiting them from the right lane could lead to traffic congestion and safety issues. He emphasizes that road designs vary, and a one-size-fits-all approach may not be suitable.
Instead of enacting a general rule, Agyl suggested that the government provide statistical evidence of the effectiveness of this approach and determine whether specific highways require tailored solutions.

Alvin Choong, secretary-general of Selangor and Kuala Lumpur Lorry Operators Association, agreed with Agyl's view on the restriction. He said that prohibiting heavy vehicles from using the right lanes would disrupt the traffic flow, defeating the purpose of using the highways.


“The move is not that practical. Not all highways have more than two lanes and restricting them from using the right lanes would only cause traffic jams and endanger other road users.  “Since there are many slow-moving vehicles travelling in the left lanes too, how would the authorities implement the law banning commercial vehicles travelling on the right lane, given that this would cause massive congestion?

“The high number of commercial vehicles plying highways is to ensure smooth delivery of goods and daily necessities. 

“Please do not discard the contributions of commercial vehicles in our daily lives. Do not make us the scapegoat for poor planning on the highways,” Choong says in a The Star report. The Ministry of Transport has recently issued a new directive aimed at enhancing road safety and optimizing traffic flow on highways. The regulation states that heavy vehicles, including both trucks and buses, are now restricted from utilizing the rightmost lane on highways. These vehicles must remain in the left lane unless they are actively engaged in overtaking maneuvers.

This is one of five new measures that the MOT would implement as part of stricter regulations for commercial vehicles, mainly lorries and buses, according to BH.

Other enhancements include the necessary installation of speed limiters, GPS devices, high-speed weigh-in-motion (HS-WIM) sensors at 11 highway points, as well as an increase in automated enforcement system (AES) cameras.