One of the most annoying things about driving in Malaysia is the potholes that are found all over our roads. However, according to The Star, as of April of this year, the Works Ministry has reported that 2,138 potholes had been fixed as part of the “Zero Potholes” project.
According to Deputy Minister Datuk Seri Abdul Rahman Mohamad, the Public Works Department (JKR) and federal road concession holders fixed 8,519 potholes on federal roads in Peninsular Malaysia last year as part of the plan, which started in July 2022.
In 2021, JKR also created a pothole monitoring application system (ASaPP) to track potholes on federal roads in Peninsular Malaysia using an app for smartphones, tablets, and desktops. The ASaPP system, which is open to all parties concerned, will record any complaints regarding pothole repairs, and any encountered potholes will be quickly corrected and reported there.
In Peninsular Malaysia, these partners also include the federal road maintenance concession businesses, district JKR offices, and the JKR headquarters, according to Abdul Rahman.
As stated by Abdul Rahman, a pothole is defined as having a width of between 200 and 1,000 millimetres and a depth of 25 millimetres. If the damage is larger than a pothole, it is considered road damage and must be repaired permanently as part of the routine pavement maintenance schedule. He also stated that as part of the Zero Potholes plan, pothole repair work will be completed within 24 hours of the damage being discovered or reported.
JKR will also carry out inspections to make sure repairs are made in accordance with specifications and to keep track of the quality of the pothole fixes. At the same time, Abdul Rahman stated that the Standard Specification for Roadworks (JKR/SPJ/2008) must be followed in order for pothole repairs to be of a high enough level.
To ensure high-quality and long-lasting repairs, JKR will closely monitor the pothole repair process from the selection of materials obtained from authorised quarries.
