By Dr. Amarjeet Singh @ AJ
The recent incidents involving motorcyclists losing control on the green surface of the Federal Highway motorcycle lane raise questions that go far beyond telling riders:
“SLOW DOWN.”
Yes, riders have a responsibility to ride according to conditions.
But the authorities, designers, contractors and suppliers also have a responsibility to provide a road surface that is fit for its intended purpose — especially in Malaysian weather.
So let us ask the difficult questions.
See this link as see what happened:
https://www.facebook.com/share/r/1DrJEpt5F1/
WHAT EXACTLY WAS PUT ON THAT ROAD?
Was it ordinary epoxy-type paint?
Was it a certified high-friction coloured surfacing system?
What was the brand and product specification?
What anti-skid aggregate was incorporated?
What standard was it required to meet?
Who approved the material?
Who tested it?
Who inspected the application?
And most importantly:
WHAT WAS ITS SKID-RESISTANCE READING WHEN WET?
Malaysia is not a country where roads remain dry.
We have tropical heat.
Heavy rain.
Sudden showers.
Flash floods.
Oil and diesel contamination.
Standing water.
Humidity.
UV exposure.
And thousands of motorcycles travelling on our roads every single day.
A road material suitable for Malaysia therefore cannot merely look attractive or pass a laboratory specification.
It must perform in Malaysian conditions.
If a coloured surface is being installed specifically on a MOTORCYCLE lane, its wet-weather friction performance becomes even more critical because a motorcycle has only two small tyre contact patches and must lean while cornering.
And here is another uncomfortable question:
WAS THE MATERIAL TESTED BEFORE THE ROAD WAS OPENED?
Or are we testing it now because people have already fallen?
If tests were conducted before opening, then publish them.
Show us:
Dry skid resistance.
Wet skid resistance.
Material certification.
Product data sheet.
Method statement.
Test laboratory.
Acceptance certificate.
Contract specification.
Inspection records.
Transparency protects everyone — including JKR and the contractor — if the work was properly executed.
If the product passed every requirement, show the public the evidence.
But if the wrong material was used, the application was defective, the specification was inadequate, or somebody substituted a cheaper system, then accountability must follow.
And if investigations establish negligence or defective work, another question inevitably arises:
WHO COMPENSATES THE RIDERS?
Motorcycles can be repaired.
But what about medical bills?
Loss of income?
Permanent injuries?
Or, God forbid, loss of life?
Responsibility cannot end with resurfacing the road and putting up a 40 km/h sign.
We need to know WHY it happened.
This incident should also trigger something much bigger.
MALAYSIA NEEDS AN IMMEDIATE AUDIT OF COLOURED MOTORCYCLE AND BICYCLE SURFACES.
JKR, DBKL, highway concessionaires and relevant local authorities should identify high-risk coloured surfaces, particularly at:
bends, tunnels, downhill sections, braking zones, intersections, flood-prone locations and high motorcycle-volume corridors.
Test them in the WET, not merely the dry.
If they fail the required friction standard, close or rectify them BEFORE somebody becomes another accident statistic.
And there is another reality authorities cannot ignore.
Many motorcyclists enter the main carriageway because some dedicated motorcycle lanes are perceived as inconvenient, poorly maintained, flooded, badly lit, damaged or unsafe.
When riders choose to mix with cars travelling at highway speeds because they believe the dedicated motorcycle lane is more dangerous, we have a system problem worth investigating.
This isn’t about attacking JKR, DBKL, contractors or government agencies.
It is about asking them to do what engineering and public accountability demand:
TEST IT.
PUBLISH IT.
FIX IT.
AUDIT THE REST.
AND HOLD THE RESPONSIBLE PARTY ACCOUNTABLE IF SOMETHING WENT WRONG.
A green road is meaningless if it isn’t a safe road.
Road safety must be engineered — not painted.
Dr. Amarjeet Singh @ AJ
Amarjeet Singh Sran (amarjeetsinghsran5@gmail.com) is a content creator under the Newswav Creator programme, where you get to express yourself, be a citizen journalist, and at the same time monetize your content & reach millions of users on Newswav. Log in to creator.newswav.com and become a Newswav Creator now!
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