Automatic B licence upgrade to be finalised, Zahid says

Age limit and the ownership period of B2 motorcycle licences are among factors that need to be considered before the proposal to automatically upgrade to a B licence can be finalised, said Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi.

Zahid said this matter will be finalised in detailed meetings with the Road Transport Department (RTD) and Bukit Aman’s Traffic Investigation and Enforcement Department soon.

“What we discussed earlier is that there is a certain age limit, meaning the applicant must be 35 years and above, and they must hold a B2 licence for a specific period before being eligible for a full B licence.

“We will finalise this matter in the meetings with both departments,” he said.

He said this at a press conference after an engagement session with the Motorcycle Association of Malaysia in Putrajaya today.

The licence issue was raised by participants in the engagement session, which was also attended by Transport Minister Anthony Loke and Deputy Home Minister Shamsul Anuar Nasarah.

Enforcement and education

In August last year, Zahid proposed the automatic upgrade of B2 driving licences to a B licence, which was to be brought to the Transport Ministry for further evaluation.

RTD classifies B2 riding licences for motorcycles not exceeding 250cc, while class B involves motorcycles exceeding 500cc.

During the engagement session, Loke stated that the decision to upgrade to a B licence automatically is not straightforward because Bukit Aman statistics show that the majority of road accidents involve individuals aged between 16 and 35.

“We look at the data, if those who have just obtained a B2 licence are given a B licence, they may act recklessly. If they are a bit older, they may be more experienced besides having responsibilities to their families and so on,” said Loke.

Zahid stated that the number of motorcycle rider deaths due to road accidents increased by 10 percent last year, totalling 4,480, compared to 4,071 cases in 2022.

“What we have decided, based on the suggestions from the motorcycle association, is that when motorcycling events are held, they ask RTD and the Transport Ministry to engage with them and adopt some educational approaches,” he said.

“This year, we are determined to conduct several programmes, including enforcement and education, and engagement with motorcycling associations to reduce the death rate by 50 percent by 2030,” he said.

Zahid also mentioned that the cabinet had agreed to merge two cabinet committees under the ministry, namely the Cabinet Committee on Traffic Congestion and the Cabinet Committee on Road Safety.

“At the High-Level Committee Meeting on Safety and Traffic Congestion this morning, we also decided to increase the frequency of meetings from once or twice a year to three times a year to obtain the latest information on road safety and congestion issues,” he said.

- Bernama

MOT to look into automatic B2 to B licence upgrade for motorcyclists

Cop arrested in fatal accident tests negative for drugs

Ford Ranger driver fined RM6k for reckless driving

Man charged with reckless driving in Putrajaya fatal crash

LETTER | Traffic accidents are worsening in Malaysia