MELAKA: The lorry company suspected of causing the five-vehicle collision which claimed seven lives at Kilometre (KM) 204 of the North-South Expressway (PLUS) northbound, on December 23 last year, is set to be charged in court on March 4.
Melaka Road Transport Department (JPJ) director Muhammad Firdaus Shariff said that the case, filed under Section 57(1)(b)(vi) of the Land Public Transport Act (APAD) 2010, will be mentioned at the Alor Gajah Magistrates’ Court.
He added that JPJ is also seeking to forfeit the rights of the semi-tank trailer carrying cement powder, under Section 80(4) of the same law.
“We served a court summons to the Johor-based lorry company on February 7, and the case has been scheduled for mention on March 4.
“The charge pertains to overloading, as the lorry was found carrying 16,250 kilogrammes — 31 per cent above the permitted load limit,” he told reporters after a special operation, held in conjunction with the Chinese New Year celebrations, along the Lebuh Alor Gajah-Melaka Tengah-Jasin (Lebuh AMJ) near Melaka Sentral, last night.
The media previously reported that seven people were killed and 33 injured in a crash, involving a tour bus carrying 27 passengers, two lorries, a car, and a multi-purpose vehicle (MPV) at KM204 of the PLUS Expressway northbound.
Preliminary investigations found that the tour bus struck a lorry’s dislodged tyre in the middle lane, causing it to lose control and veer into the opposite lane, colliding with three other vehicles.
The tragic incident claimed the lives of five passengers in the MPV, as well as the driver and a passenger of the bus.
