Only 33 JPJ-approved workshops for speed limiter retrofits on over 200,000 commercial vehicles, says Loke

Only 33 workshops nationwide have been approved to retrofit speed limitation devices (SLDs) on commercial vehicles, prompting the Transport Ministry to postpone full enforcement of the requirement. Transport Minister Anthony Loke said in Parliament the number of approved workshops was insufficient to handle the more than 200,000 vehicles requiring retrofits, with the ministry giving the industry more time to comply.

“As of Monday (Oct 26), only 33 SLD retrofit suppliers nationwide have been approved by the Road Transport Department (JPJ), and this number is clearly insufficient,” he said during the Dewan Rakyat question-and-answer session on Tuesday (Oct 27), responding to a supplementary question from Tan Kar Hing (PH-Gopeng). The ministry announced on June 30 that full enforcement, originally scheduled to begin on July 1, would be postponed.

Loke stressed the decision did not mean the requirement had been cancelled or waived. The ministry is also finalising a dedicated legal framework covering SLD installation, verification and enforcement, and a new enforcement date will be announced once these matters have been settled.

The requirement was introduced in phases from Oct 1, 2025, for designated categories of commercial vehicles as part of efforts to curb speeding and reduce road accidents. As of Oct 26, JPJ had recorded 106,651 verified SLD installations among 207,083 active vehicles manufactured from 2015 onwards, representing a compliance rate of 51.5%.

Compliance was significantly lower among older vehicles requiring retrofits. Only 34,514 out of 202,861 vehicles manufactured before 2015 had recorded SLD installations, equivalent to 17%. Loke said newer vehicles faced fewer installation challenges because SLDs were already required under the vehicle type approval process. However, the actual compliance rate still needed to be assessed.

Older vehicles present greater difficulties, as some may not be compatible with SLDs, while original equipment manufacturers may be unable to provide the necessary technical support for retrofitting, said a The Star report. The ministry’s decision to delay full enforcement is intended to give vehicle operators and the industry more time to complete installations while addressing the limited availability of approved retrofit workshops.

Loading 3 photos…

Add paultan.org as a preferred source on Google SearchAdd Follow paultan.org on Google NewsFollow