Tawau: The State Road Safety Department's (JKJR) move to appoint taxi drivers or operators in Sabah as "JKJR Ambassadors" is one of its approaches to enhance awareness on reducing accidents.Its Director, Herdiansah Abdul Karim, said the appointment of the ambassadors would be carried out in phases via the organising of road safety seminars that involve taxis.
Based on the data from the Kepayan police headquarters, a total of 190 taxis were involved in accidents in Sabah in 2010 but the figure went down to 152 cases last year. "But between January and April this year, there were already 49 accidents involving taxis including 14 in Tawau," he said.
He said this at a Safety Seminar cum launching of Tadau Kaamatan road safety campaign in Puspakom which Infrastructure Development Assistant Minister, Datuk Pang Yuk Ming, officiated.
On other developments, Herdiansah also said that the JKJR is considering creating an award system for express bus companies in Sabah that recorded excellent performances and zero accidents.
This, he said, is a motivation for the companies to enhance safe driving habits among its drivers.
He said the JKJR would be meeting with the express bus companies that have accident records in an effort to minimise accidents.
"This approach is not to punish them but to create awareness as well as to analyse their performance," he said.
