School zone 30 km/h speed limit being gazetted – Loke

The transport ministry and works ministry are in the process of gazetting a 30 km/h speed limit for school zones in Malaysia, said transport minister Anthony Loke, reported The Star. Once gazetted, a 500 metre stretch outside a school would be designated a 30 km/h zone, said the transport minister.

“Motorists will not be allowed to exceed the speed limit 250 metres before the school entrance and another 250 metres after that. This is important as an average of 70 fatalities are recorded in school zones annually and we want to reduce this,” Loke said following the launch of the Safe School Zone (SSZ) pilot project at SK Taman Seri Pagi and SMK Seri Pagi, according to the report.

Earlier this month, education minister Datuk Seri Fadhlina Sidek told the Dewan Rakyat that the proposed nationwide school zone speed limit of 30 km/h remained ungazetted over two years since its approval, pending a review of legal amendments.

The policy was approved in July 2024 by the cabinet committee on road safety and traffic congestion, chaired by deputy prime minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi.

Safe school zones were important as children were among the most vulnerable road users in such areas, said Loke.

“Unlike adults, they possess neither the cognitive capacity to accurately gauge vehicle speeds nor the physical resilience to endure the impact of a collision. Consequently, it is incumbent upon us to establish a significantly safer environment for them,” the transport minister said.

The Malaysian Road Safety Council (MKJR), in collaboration with government agencies, local authorities and non-governmental partners, had adopted an approach to reduce vehicle speeds through infrastructure design and interventions in school zones, he added.

“Our objective is to ensure that the roads themselves guide users toward making safer choices. This year, the MKJR is implementing this initiative across nine states,” Loke said. The safe school zone concept will see the construction of raised pedestrian crossings to slow vehicles, provide safer access and improve pedestrians’ visibility to motorists.

Road lanes will also be narrowed to encourage drivers to remain alert, while additional elements will be installed to improve to separation between pedestrians and vehicles, such as median strips and pedestrian islands to provide a safe space for waiting to cross roads.

Signs and road markings will be installed to remind motorists of the speed limit, and schools will be required to prepare traffic management plans, designate pick-up and drop-off areas, and install safety barriers where necessary, the report wrote.

The transport minister hoped that the private sector would support the initiative as part of their corporate social responsibility.

“Since there are more than 10,000 schools nationwide and the MKJR does not have a special allocation for this, we hope others such as private companies will come forward and support the programme,” Loke said.

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