Ministry to study eCall implementation

Liow: Govt aims to apply system by 2019

The Transport Ministry will begin a study on the eCall emergency call system for vehicles in the hope of implementing it in Malaysia by 2019.

Transport Minister Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai (pic) said the ministry has tabled a presentation on the eCall system to the Cabinet, adding that it would complement other road safety measures already introduced by the Government.

“The Government has introduced many road safety measures to reduce accidents. These include the upgrading of roads, road safety education, enforcement in the form of the AES (Automated Enforcement System) as well as engagement with the public and NGOs.

“The introduction of the eCall system will help improve the response time of emergency services. Many countries have introduced this and we are happy that Malaysia is also looking to implement it.

“Hopefully, this can done in 2019,” said Liow, when met at his ministry after the weekly Cabinet meeting.

He said a thorough study will be conducted on the eCall system, and input from stakeholders such as the Malaysian Automotive Association (MAA) as well as car producers will be sought.

The eCall system works by automatically notifying the Malaysian Emergency Response Services, or MERS 999, with crash data in the shortest possible duration, when an accident occurs.

The study will also look into the feasibility of making the eCall system mandatory in all Malaysian cars.