PUTRAJAYA: The High Speed-Weigh in Motion (HS-WIM) system, installed to automatically monitor the load of heavy vehicles, is expected to start operating in the third quarter (Q3) of this year, said Transport Minister Anthony Loke Siew Fook.
He said the Ministry of Transport (MOT) had identified 10 locations nationwide to be equipped with the HS-WIM system.
“The master plan involving enforcement through HS-WIM will be developed aimed at increasing the installation of this system in hotspots such as high accident zones and high traffic flow areas.
“I have given instructions last week that we no longer want to delay its implementation because last year we completed the proof of concept, so this proof of concept is already done, and this year we must start with the installation of HS-WIM,“ he said at a press conference after delivering his New Year 2025 message here today.
Loke said the installation of the HS-WIM system is a new approach to monitor the movement of heavy vehicles that exceed the load limit.
“This HS-WIM system uses camera technology. With the presence of sensors, when they (heavy vehicles) pass through a certain area, we will be able to know whether the vehicle has exceeded the weight limit or not, and the vehicle will be recorded on camera.
“So, we will know what time the heavy vehicle passed there, how much its load was, and therefore if the vehicle is overloaded, we can issue a summons to the vehicle owner,“ he said.
He said currently the method used is very manual…where we have to stop the heavy vehicle, then take it to the weighing station to find out whether it exceeds the weight limit or not.
Additionally, Loke said the implementation of the Automated Awareness Safety System (AwAS) cameras will be improved by adopting a point-to-point method compared to the static method previously implemented.
He said the new system allows for more comprehensive monitoring of vehicle speed by measuring the average speed of vehicle between two camera checkpoints based on distance and travel time.
The minister said the current implementation of the AwAS cameras, which are placed in a static locations, was seen as not achieving the ministry’s objective of reducing vehicle speed and subsequently reducing the risk of accidents.
“What we want to move towards with this new approach, is that we already have new technology, where we can see where we will monitor between two checkpoints. We don’t want drivers to slow down only in front of the camera, but within a certain distance.
“Let’s say between point A and point B, we want to know how much time he (driver) takes. If he takes less time than he should, it means he is speeding and he will be penalised (fined),” he said.
Loke said that for starters, the implementation of the new method will be carried out in dangerous and high-risk areas such as the hilly areas of the Kuala Lumpur-Karak Expressway (KLK) in Genting Sempah and Menora Tunnel, Ipoh.
“Our objective is to ensure that vehicles, especially buses and the like, slow down and do not accelerate when going downhill.
“Now it is less effective even though we have installed cameras. The vehicles only slow down at that spot and then speed again,“ he also said.
He added that the MOT hopes that through the improvement of the AwAS system with a point-to-point mechanism, it can contribute to a reduction in road accidents as well as increase awareness and discipline among drivers nationwide.
