Public Works Department (PWD) district engineers have signed a pledge to ensure that there will be no potholes on public roads.

The pledge applies to all federal and state roads under PWD jurisdiction.

The 78 engineeris submitted their signed pledges to Works Minister Fadillah Yusof at the district engineers (JD) meeting at the ministry's office at Putrajaya yesterday.

"We pledge and promise to be committed in ensuring that federal and state lands under PWD jurisdiction remain in zero pothole status," the pledge document read.

The document was also signed by the JD meeting's chairperson Muahmad Jusoh and meeting secretary Maria Marcus.

The pledge comes after the Kuala Lumpur City Hall declared its target in making the city pothole-free by next year.

Fadillah said the PWD will work towards its target with stringent monitoring by the JDs and imposing fines on non-performing concessionaires.

Concessionaires will now have to submit a report to the JDs on the state of their roads twice a week.

"If (the concessionaires) fail to deliver, a non-conformance report will be issued by the JD and a certain amount of money will then be deducted from their contracts.

“JDs may also engage a third party to rectify these potholes with the necessary payments being deducted from the concessionaire,” he said.

The Works Ministry oversees 14,697 kilometres of federal roads in Peninsular Malaysia, maintained by three road concessionaires.

To curb shoddy patchworks, utility firms and developers will also have to place a deposit with the PWD before digging holes in the road, he said.

“This money shall be used as a contingency to repair roads due to improper restoration by utility companies,” the minister reportedly said.