KOTA KINABALU: Commercial Vehicle Licensing Board (CVLB) Sabah will not hesitate to revoke or suspend the licence of errant commercial transport operators for overloading.

       Sabah CVLB chairman Datuk Chin Kim Hiung (pic) said they were ready to act against overloaded lorries blamed for Sabah's bad road conditions.

       Chin said this in response to Sabah Public Works Department (JKR) director Ali Ahmad Hamid's statement that overloaded lorries were among the main causes for damaged roads across the state.

       “We are aware and agree with the JKR director on the causes of road damage," he told reporters here.

       However, he said overloading or carrying goods dangerously was an offence as per the Road Traffic Rules LN166/59, which can only be enforced by either the police or the Road Transport Department (JPJ).

       "The CVLB is not completely toothless; we are empowered by the CVLB Act to revoke or suspend the licences of errant licence holders.

       "Should we receive any request from the police or JPJ, we would definitely look into the possibility of exercising our powers," Chin said.

       Commercial vehicles consist of two categories - Public Service Vehicles such as taxis, buses, and even e-hailing for public transport and the second for goods vehicles that are for hire or any vehicles that have a maximum permissible laden weight of 7.5 tonnes, he said.

       Earlier this week, Sabah JKR director Ali Ahmad Hamid said overloaded lorries, especially in the rural areas, and the expired service life of the roads, were among the factors JKR roads in the state were easily damaged.

       Ali Ahmad said his department had detected vehicles overloaded with oil palm fruits and timber using these roads which resulted in the roads being subjected to excessive pressure and subsequently, damaged.

       “All parties including the JPJ, Police, JKR, oil palm entrepreneurs and the local populace must work as a team to curb the overloading of vehicles which will cause damage to roads in the state,” Hamzah said.

       About 200km of main federal roads linking Sabah's east coast towns have been described as "expired" and need immediate rehabilitation, costing over RM200mil.