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(LTA please play catch-up...Bolihland JPJ Bravo!!) Saturday September 26, 2009

http://www.nst.com.my/Current_News/NST/art...s/22onw/Article Bolihland again - anything pun bolih !!! Your car could be a 'time bomb' 2009/07/11 PETALING JAYA: Cars using natural gas may be "bombs-on-wheels" on our roads, thanks to gas tanks installed by backyard workshops and unqualified mechanics. The warning comes from the Water and Energy Consumers Association of Malaysia (Wecam) whose research has revealed that many motorists subscribed to the "penny wise, pound foolish" mentality. To save a few ringgit, Wecam secretary-general S. Piarapakaran said yesterday, these motorists were willing to compromise on safety and settled for cheap materials and shoddy workmanship to fix their cars with natural gas tanks. "They were found to have patronised backyard workshops and unauthorised mechanics for the installation of gas tanks in their vehicles. "Since the gas is highly inflammable, poorly-fixed gas tanks with leaking rubber hoses could easily explode during a collision. "Currently, there are no competent bodies in the country to supervise and monitor natural gas vehicles (NGVs). "Imagine the damage to the environment and loss of lives if the vehicles were plying busy highways." Piarapakaran called on the government to take immediate steps to "minimise the danger from this illegal installation of gas tanks". He suggested that police and the Road Transport Department, when they were conducting traffic checks, should get help from Sirim and other competent bodies to keep tabs on NGVs. The association also suggested the following: - Regular checks and enforcement of safety features in NGVs; - Usage of genuine parts; - Reduction in the cost of installing tanks by authorised dealers and - Putting a proper registration system in place to determine the number of NGVs. -- Bernama