Ministry of Works committed to eradicate blackspots — Baru Bian
KUALA PILAH: The Ministry of Works ( MOW) is committed towards the upgrading of roads, including federal roads nationwide with high accident rates or ‘blackspots’.
Its minister Baru Bian said it was the policy of the ministry to prioritise such roads as it involved safety and lives.
‘’Every state will submit roads which are identified as being in poor condition and we accept their proposal as they know which roads should be given priority.
“But what we take into account is the blackspot factor or those contributing to a high number of mishaps.
“This is our policy whereby we will upgrade federal roads nationwide. If there is such a mishap factor, it becomes a priority to us,’’ he said after launching Federal Route 51 from Kampung Sawah Liat to Kampung Gedang here yesterday.
Similarly, he said the main reason why the Federal Route 51 project was upgraded was to reduce the rate of mishaps.
“I want to stress that the project was started after an application on the road in the area which recorded a high accident rate.
“So we took the matter seriously after the project was received three years ago and it completed on Dec 17 last year,’’ he said.
He said the upgrading of Federal Route 51 was also part of the federal government’s commitment to provide an important and high quality support infractructure whereby the alignment is an important route connecting West and East Negeri Sembilan encompassing the Kuala Pilah, Jempol and Tampin districts.
“A total of RM25 million was approved for the project including land acquisitions and relocation of utilities.
“The final cost of the project was RM16.8 million (contract cost),’’ he said.
“I am also very proud when informed that the handing over of the project encompassed three in one, namely Certificate of Practical Completion, As Build Drawing and Statement of Final Account, which must be emulated by other projects under the department,’’ he added. — Bernama