Month: September 2022

PDRM memberi peringatan kepada pengguna jalan raya agar tidak berlumba dan memotong secara zig-zag kerana tindakan undang-undang boleh dikenakan.

Menerusi kenyataan PDRM di Facebook, keseronokan dan keterujaan memandu dan memotong secara melulu boleh membahayakan diri sendiri dan mengancam nyawa pengguna jalan raya yang lain.

Boleh Dipenjara Dan Didenda

PDRM memaklumkan tindakan berlumba dan memandu secara berbahaya di jalan raya itu melanggar undang-undang di bawah Seksyen 42(1), Akta Pengangkutan Jalan 1987 iaitu memandu secara berbahaya dan melulu.

Jika disabitkan kesalahan, pemandu boleh dipenjara sehingga lima tahun serta dikenakan denda tidak kurang daripada RM5,000 dan tidak melebihi RM15,000. Jika pemandu adalah pemegang lesen memandu percubaan (P), lesen boleh dibatalkan.

Jika disabitkan kesalahan, pemandu boleh dipenjara sehingga lima tahun serta dikenakan denda tidak kurang daripada RM5,000 dan tidak melebihi RM15,000. Bagi kesalahan kedua atau seterusnya, pemandu boleh dipenjara tidak melebihi 10 tahun dan disaman antara RM10,000 hingga RM20,000.

Selain itu, di bawah Seksyen 42(3) pula menyatakan seseorang yang disabitkan kesalahan akan hilang kelayakan daripada memegang atau mendapatkan lesen memandu untuk tempoh tidak kurang daripada dua tahun.

Untuk sabitan kedua atau seterusnya, hukuman ini akan meningkat ke 10 tahun. Sementara itu, Seksyen 42(4) menyatakan bahawa sekiranya pemandu itu memegang lesen memandu percubaan (P), lesen itu boleh dibatalkan oleh mahkamah.

*Kredit foto: Wales Online

Isu Potong Secara Zig-Zag

Tidak dinafikan, aktiviti lumba haram dan memotong secara zig-zag ini sudah sering kali diperhatikan, tidak kiralah dengan mata sendiri ketika memandu ataupun melalui perkongsian di media sosial.

Walaupun orang ramai menyambut baik hukuman bagi pelumba haram di jalan raya, namun sebahagian daripada mereka mahukan pihak berkuasa mengambil tindakan kepada pemandu yang memandu perlahan di lorong paling kanan kerana pemandu inilah yang menyebabkan pemandu lain memotong di sebelah kiri.

Tindakan memonopoli lorong kanan dengan kelajuan seakan-akan sedang mencari rumah sewa inilah punca jalan raya menjadi sesak dan membuatkan sebahagian pemandu bertindak memotong secara zig-zag.

Orang ramai juga mencadangkan agar anggota polis membuat rondaan di jalan raya dan menyaman pemandu ‘lane hogger’ ini daripada bersembunyi di bawah jambatan untuk melakukan speed trap.

PLUS Malaysia mengingatkan penunggang motosikal di lebuh rayanya supaya sentiasa menggunakan tempat perlindungan hujan yang disediakan khas untuk motosikal jika perlu berhenti.

Menurut Ketua Komunikasi Korporat PLUS, Syed Mohamad Idid, ini adalah untuk keselamatan semua, terutamanya bagi penunggang motosikal.

Kawasan Perlindungan Hujan PLUS

Ketika ini, terdapat 184 kawasan perlindungan hujan untuk penunggang motosikal berteduh di sepanjang rangkaian lebuhraya PLUS.

Kawasan berteduh ini terbahagi kepada tiga iaitu:

Kawasan berteduh berasingan di kawasan selamat
Kawasan berteduh di bawah jambatan dan jejambat
Kawasan berteduh di bawah persimpangan bertingkat

Daripada 186 kawasan itu, sebanyak

85 tempat perlindungan terletak di belah Selatan
70 tempat perlindungan terletak di belah tengah
31 tempat perlindungan terletak di belah Utara

Daripada jumlah ini, PLUS juga sentiasa menilai lokasi baharu untuk menambah bilangan tempat perlindungan hujan motosikal.          

*Kredit infografik: PLUS

Keselamatan Adalah Keutamaan

Meskipun pengguna motosikal tidak membayar tol dan tidak mendatangkan untung buat PLUS, namun Syed berkata keselamatan semua penggunanya adalah keutamaan utama bagi mereka.

Anda tidak boleh meletakkan had pada nilai nyawa seseorang manusia,” kata Syed. Bagaimanapun, beliau berkata terdapat had kepada bilangan dan lokasi tempat perlindungan hujan boleh ditempatkan kerana ruang dan pertimbangan reka bentuk jalan.

*kredit foto: Sinar Harian

Syed juga berkata pengguna lebuh raya perlu mengambil tahu dan mengikuti petua memandu dan menunggang yang disediakan PLUS terutama ketika cuaca buruk serta sentiasa mematuhi peraturan lebuh raya dan had laju.

“Keselamatan lebuh raya adalah satu perkara penting untuk semua pihak untuk mengambil bahagian secara aktif dan bekerjasama. Rangkaian lebuh raya PLUS direka untuk perjalanan yang cekap dan menawarkan kadar tol bagi setiap kilometer yang terbaik di Malaysia,” jelas Syed.

The PJ Half Marathon 2022 will take place this Sunday (25 September 2022) and those living in Petaling Jaya should take note of the temporary road closures for the event.

This time around, there will be a few more categories added to the half marathon ranging from the 3km fun run all the way up to 30km in distance. Those who are planning to drive in or out of Petaling Jaya should be aware of which roads will be closed at different time frames to cater to the PJ Half Marathon’s return.

Persiaran Barat – Jalan Timur from Sat 6pm to Sun 12pm

Those who are familiar with the Persiaran Barat – Jalan Timur route (in front of Padang Timur) should take note that it’ll be closed from Saturday (24 September 2022) 6pm to Sunday (25 September 2022) at 12pm to make way for the event setup.

To cater to the 30km run, the slip road from the Federal Highway onto Jalan Timur (from KL) will also be closed from 4am to 10am this coming Sunday. Some alternatives have been suggested for those who want to head to Section 14 and Seapark to take Jalan Barat and Jalan 222 to head to Bandar Petaling Jaya.

Most PJ main roads to be closed from 4.30am to 11.00am

The traffic police from IPD Petaling Jaya will be assisting in the closures of a lot more roads within the Petaling Jaya area from 4.30am to 11.00am. There’s a whole list of it that you can refer to in the photo above.

As you can see, it’s a lot. So if you have any plans that consist of going into Petaling Jaya on Sunday morning, it’s better if you can postpone, cancel, or suggest a different venue, unless you’re entering the half marathon. If that’s the case, all the best!

Bukit Bintang mungkin bakal menjadi kawasan bebas kenderaan di Kuala Lumpur.

Menurut Timbalan Menteri Wilayah Persekutuan Datuk Seri Jalaluddin Alias, ini akan menyusuli penutupan mingguan pada hari Ahad yang dilalukan di Jalan Tuanku Abdul Rahman (TAR).

DBKL Teliti Kawasan Program Bebas Kenderaan

Dewan Bandaraya Kuala Lumpur (DBKL) sedang meneliti beberapa kawasan lain di ibu negara untuk dijadikan lokasi bebas kenderaan. Setakat ini, Jalaluddin berkata Bukit Bintang merupakan kawasan yang berpotensi untuk mewujudkan kawasan pejalan kaki di tengah bandar.

“Selepas Jalan TAR, kita bercadang untuk melaksanakan program bebas kenderaan di sekitar kawasan Hotel Federal kerana itu adalah kawasan tumpuan pejalan kaki,” jelasnya.

Ketika ini, pihaknya masih dalam sesi libat urus dengan pihak berkepentingan serta orang awam. Jika ia berjaya dan diluluskan, perkara itu akan diumumkan kelak.

Orang Awam Sambut Baik Program Bebas Kenderaan

Datuk Bandar Kuala Lumpur, Datuk Seri Mahadi Che Ngah berkata pihaknya telah menerima maklum balas positif daripada orang awam termasuk peniaga berhubung penutupan Jalan TAR pada setiap Ahad.

“Perkara ini bukannlah sesuatu yang mudah untuk dilaksanakan, jadi kita perlu mendapatkan maklum balas orang ramai bagi menyelesaikan sebarang masalah yang mungkin timbul selepas itu,” tambahnya.

Disebabkan perkara itu, Mahadi berkata pihaknya sedang merancang untuk membawa lebih banyak program dan aktiviti untuk memeriahkan lagi kawasan bebas kenderaan itu.

It was back in June when AirAsia stated that they’ve ‘paid back’ almost all customers affected by flight cancellations during COVID-19 with travel vouchers equivalent to the amount owned. But is that really the case?

Malaysia Now reported that it’s no rainbows and unicorns when it comes to customers who have received the said travel vouchers in lieu of cash refunds or compensations. Why? Well, a number of difficulties popped up when they read the ‘Terms & Conditions’ of the travel vouchers. In other words, very mafan one.

Only for a fixed list of destinations?

While AirAsia has been receiving a lot of heat due to its inability to offer cash refunds, the travel vouchers that they’ve issued in compensation can only be used for certain payments and trips to a ‘fixed list of destinations’. That, obviously, added more fuel to the fire.

The travel vouchers were credited into the passengers’ accounts following AirAsia’s High Court-approved debt restructuring move last March. It turns out that there’s a fine print on the use of said vouchers for three and only three particular destinations at first – New Delhi, Seoul, and Sydney.

More destinations will be added like Tokyo, Sapporo, Osaka, Hawaii, Perth, Melbourne, Auckland, London, Istanbul, and Dubai. Even then, it still sounds like they’re trying to profit from these travel vouchers by limiting the number of destinations that can be used with the compensatory travel vouchers.

Change of expiry dates without informing the customers?

One of the customers complained that she was given two credits in her account due to her flight from Singapore to KL getting cancelled back in May 2020 due to COVID-19. Malaysia Now also reported that only one credit was converted to a travel voucher and she could only use it to travel to the destinations listed above.

With only SGD160 (around RM514) worth of credit available in the account, the customer has no other choice but to spend more money to travel to the listed destination in order to make use of the compensation provided by AirAsia.

The customer also claimed that her credit expiry date was changed to a different date, even though AirAsia X itself stated that the travel vouchers are good for five years from the date they were issued to the customers. The online credit? Only two years.

*Image credit: Business Today

Another customer unable to redeem the voucher’s full value

Another Malaysian was left frustrated as she was unable to use her full voucher amount of RM3,728.92. While she was fortunate enough to be able to use the voucher to head to one of AirAsia’s locations on the list, she found out that it can only be used to cover the ‘basic fare’ of the flight.

The good news? She was able to use RM3,558 from her credit but was left with RM170.92 hanging and she considered it to be too little to be used for anything else. Her Twitter post went somewhat viral and was filled with other dissatisfied AirAsia customers complaining about their own situations regarding the carrier’s poor attempts in handling refunds, issuance of vouchers, and more flight cancellations.

AirAsia sold 500,000 seats in 48 hours

Despite all the complaints that can be found online, AirAsia managed to sell over half a million seats in just 48 hours thanks to its latest ‘5 million free seats’ promotion. It’s good value-for-money stuff as customers only had to pay for fees and surcharges, but it’s like rolling the dice – take your chances and you might win. There will be losers, though.

A global survey by Polestar, spurred by “the continued lack of climate action from car makers despite strong consumer demand” and a fair bit of corporate agenda, claims that the world really wants to be rid of the internal combustion engine.

Unlike other automakers, Polestar right now makes nothing but fully electric vehicles whereas years prior they had been the performance arm of Swedish automaker Volvo. So, it’s the fault of others why they haven’t sprinted to follow in their footsteps.

Just 1.5% Of All Cars Are Full Electric

Thomas Ingenlath lamented that, as of 2022, just 1.5% of vehicles on the road are fully electric – that “we’re in an EV bubble, not an EV boom.”

On the contrary, many automakers have set a firm internal timeline to going EV-only while many countries around the world have committed to outlaw the sale of new passenger cars with internal combustion engines (ICE) powered by petrol or diesel by as early as 2030 as they seem to think this is the miracle cure for the world’s climate issues.

This death cult calling for the outright ban on internal combustion engines has quite a large following with much of the European Union already committed to a 2035 deadline, echoed by many automakers based in the EU such as Mercedes-Benz, the Volkswagen Group, and Stellantis.

That year also happens to be when Japanese automakers such as Mazda and Subaru (Honda shortly after) plan to be done with phasing out ICE cars from their line up in addition to countries such as Japan, Canada, and even Thailand planning to enforce it at a national level.

Ban ICE Cars: 50% Of Singaporeans, South Koreans

Polestar funded a survey to recruit respondents in 19 countries across the world, tasking GlobeScan with conducting and compiling the data from the 18,000 individuals queried, selected to be representative of all demographics of both current and future drivers.

South Korea emerged at the top of the list of countries calling out for an ICE ban with 48% of respondents in favour of it. In the runner-up position, at 44%, was the UK while Singapore came in 3rd with 42%. Yes, we rounded up to 50%. Sorry.

Interestingly, Polestar’s own home country of Sweden found only 32% of favourable respondents while Norway, a country that’s embraced EV adoption, was further down at 27%. Australia and the United States, known for their love of V8s, big muscle, and wide open spaces, came in with 34% and 33% respectively.

Of course, this, according to Polestar, is strong evidence of consumer interest in EVs over all other types of propulsion tech for passenger cars. However, it’s pretty telling that many of these countries were clearly chosen for being EV strongholds or markets that Polestar is eager to sink its teeth into.

Also notice that they are all of the more ‘high income’ classification, whose population is comprised of people much more likely to be able to afford an EV, which are still expensive compared to an ICE vehicle. In the rest of the world, they continue to be priced out of reach for most.

Air Asia’s 5 million free seat promotion is a big hit with 500,000 seats sold in just 48 hours.

Despite being an airline with the most customer complaints, it seems that AirAsia’s 5 million free seat promotion is still a hit, as half a million seats were sold for both short-haul and long-haul flights in just 48 hours.

This is a remarkable achievement for the airline and the travel industry following almost three years of travel restrictions. In fact, it was a record-breaking sale for AirAsia, surpassing the airline’s pre-COVID daily sales record of 230,000 in January 2020.

Air Asia sells 500,000 seats in 48 hours! 

According to the Star, the low-cost airline operator said value seekers have been snapping up “free seats” by the minute to their favourite short-haul destinations with the likes of Langkawi, Penang, and Kota Kinabalu in Malaysia.

It also said among the most popular overseas choices included Phuket, Krabi, and Chiang Mai in Thailand, Bali in Indonesia, and Cebu in the Philippines.

Air Asia is in the business of making dreams come true…

Air Asia Group chief commercial officer Karen Chan told The Star that the strong demand reflected a positive outlook for the company going forward.

“We’re thrilled to see such strong demand for travel post-COVID and we’re confident this is only the start. We’re in the business of making dreams come true and it is worth every effort when we see our planes filled with wanderlust and excited passengers once again,”

Promotion on-going for Air Asia Free Seats! 

The promotion was created to further stimulate the recovery of the travel and tourism industry in the region. AirAsia launched the sale of the 5 million free seat promotion last Monday, and you still have time to snap them up as it will only end on 25 September 2022 (Sunday).

The free seat offer might not allow you to travel right away as the travel period for the tickets is from 1 January 2023 to 28 October 2023, but it’s just a matter of future planning.

Despite being called “free seats”, the tickets are subjected to fees and surcharges, but with prices starting from RM23, they still represent good value for money.

 

Last night, Mercedes-Benz took the wraps off the new hottest C-Class, the AMG C 63. I’ve some distressing news if you were hoping for a thumping V8 under that bonnet. But for the rest of us that saw the writing on the wall, you already know the deal.

Its full name is the Mercedes-AMG C 63 S E Performance, and its makers say it funnels plenty of F1 tech into a road car, such as to effectively eliminate turbo-lag (not that it was really an issue in their twin-turbo V8s, really). By the way, apparently there is no ‘non-S’ variant this time around.

Fortunately, what we do have is an estate/wagon version revealed at the same time as the sedan like it’s not even a big deal #BMW.

Many months earlier, Affalterbach was already busy laying padding to soften this particularly sour blow, as rumours swirled about the next C 63 shedding a large displacement engine for what is essentially the 2.0-litre big-turbo powerplant first seen in the W177 A 45 S fused with an electric motor for even more oomph.

C 63 + AMG’s F1 Tech = Cheap Road Tax

While that M139 produced 410PS in the C 43 and 420PS in the AWD mega hatchback – and at the time being crowned the most powerful production four-cylinder by specific output – AMG has cranked it up even more here via an electric turbocharger that runs off the car’s 400V architecture. Virtually instant spooling and big power.

This as well as through means we only presume to require black magic, the 1,991cc unit produces a mighty 476PS and 545Nm on its own. That’s 238PS per-litre – nuts! The rear-axle mounted electric motor is a bit of a brute as well, delivering 201PS and 320Nm, giving the all-new C 63 a total combined output of 680PS and a massive four-figure peak torque figure: 1,020Nm.

Pictured: AMG C 43

All these superlative numbers are seemingly meant to distract AMG loyalists from the fact that it no longer has that throaty V8 rumble and street brawler character. We’ve no doubt the new car is seriously quick, but also suspect that something is inevitably lost. Interestingly, this initial reveal included no official hi-rest image of the car with the bonnet open. An odd but revealing tactic.

Engine power gets routed to the 9-speed automatic before it is sent to all four wheels for the first time via Mercedes-Benz’s 4Matic system to match rivals like the BMW M3 and Audi RS4 Avant that have similar all-paw ability. AMG claims the C 63 needs just 3.4 seconds to rocket to 100km/h while top speed is electronically limited in typical fashion to 250km/h.

AWD For The First Time

While the C 43’s AWD system maintained a fixed 31:69 torque split, the C 63’s is fully variable and even gains the capability of decoupling the front axle entirely to ensure a RWD drift mode.

It ticks the boxes, for sure, with the new hybrid powertrain granting more power, torque, and more rapid acceleration over its predecessor and its 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8. Efficiency is another big plus too, and since it’s a PHEV, its modest 6.1kWh onboard lithium-ion battery can supply enough juice to propel the car for 13km without invoking the engine.

That said, though many lamented the BMW G80 for its challenging looks as much as its extra size and weight (with xDrive) at just under 1,800kg, the new AMG equivalent is now a 2.1-tonne performance sedan thanks to its shift to hybrid power, roughly an increase of 300kg over the older model.

For added agility and perhaps to offset all that added mass, they’ve also equipped the car with rear-axle steering (up to 2.5 degrees) and a set of adaptive dampers. Rotor dimensions for the standard steel brakes (ceramics optional) are not disclosed but predictably massive, paired to six-piston calipers up front, though much of the normal stopping power is meant to be significantly aided by 4-stage regenerative braking.

Killer AMG Looks

Visually, the C 63 looks incredible. Mercedes-AMG has honed its ability to ramp up the aggression over Benz’s base cars and the leap from the standard W206 to this is noticeable but tastefully restrained. Can’t say the same about the contrast between the M3 and a normal 3 Series.

Inside, the same ethos is reflected with distinctly racier trim that’s laid on top of the W206’s very impressive base cabin. The body-hugging sport seats notwithstanding, there really isn’t much that shouts about the fact that you’ve access to 1,020Nm behind that right pedal, managing to give the impression that you’re in something as docile as an AMG-Line.

The 2023 Mercedes-AMG C 63 S E Performance certainly stirs the pot and will no doubt divide opinion. We can’t wait for the chance to drive one nonetheless. There are huge performance leaps here and the tech in play to achieve that is very impressive, but with that is the inclusion of so much more complexity and many more kilograms.

Hmm…

It looks like modern-retro race cars are in style and Renault wants in with its upcoming R5 Turbo Concept.

Teased ahead of its official unveiling in conjunction with the R5 50th anniversary, Renault’s latest show car is said to have been inspired by the Renault 5 Turbo but looking at the photos, it has been dramatically modernised and prepped for one of the most interesting motorsports to date – hillclimbing.

Hillclimb elements to the max

Although it is inspired by the slightly more modest Renault 5 Turbo, the Renault R5 Turbo Concept takes everything up to 11 with its monstrous rear wing, wheel arches, and ground-slicing splitter. One thing is for certain, this baby looks gorgeous.

Set to be the stepping stone of the brand’s next production car in 2024, the Renault R5 Turbo Concept will also be all-electric. Yup, it’s a modern-retro motorsports-inspired EV. While this might be just a one-off, we sure hope that some of these massive sporty elements do trickle down to the production model.

More info on the Renault R5 Turbo Concept once it’s officially unveiled later this week. For now, enjoy these lovely teaser photos.

Perkhidmatan Transit Aliran Ringan (LRT) Laluan Kelana Jaya mengalami gangguan pada waktu puncak baru-baru ini menyebabkan ramai pengguna terkandas.

Kalau diikutkan, ini merupakan kali ketiga LRT Kelana Jaya mengalami gangguan pada bulan ini. Gangguan itu menyebabkan tren bergerak perlahan dan berhenti lebih lama di stesen sehingga menyebabkan pengguna yang terjejas berang dan kecewa.

LRT Kelana Jaya Alami Gangguan Ketika Waktu Puncak

Menerusi kenyataan Rapid KL di media sosial, perkhidmatan tren Laluan Kelana Jaya telah mengalami kelewatan dan meminta pengguna mengikuti perkembangan dari semasa ke semasa.

Pada jam 5.59 petang hari kejadian, Rapid KL memaklumkan sebuah tren perkhidmatan itu mengalami masalah teknikal di stesen Ampang Park.

Pada sekitar jam 6.16 petang hari kejadian, Rapid KL memaklumkan perkhidmatan tren sedang diselaraskan selain menjanjikan jadual perjalanan akan kembali normal dalam masa terdekat. Dalam sekitar 15 minit berikutnya, Rapid KL memaklumkan perkhidmatannya kembali pulih.

“Kami mohon maaf atas kesulitan. Terima kasih atas kesabaran anda,” ujar Rapid KL.

Memandangkan gangguan ini berlaku ketika waktu puncak dan ini bukan kali pertama LRT Kelana Jaya mengalami gangguan, ramai pengguna LRT yang terkandas menzahirkan rasa tidak puas hati mereka terhadap isu yang berlaku melalui sosial media.

Pengguna turut berkongsi beberapa gambar dan video di beberapa stesen LRT yang sesak dengan orang ramai yang menunggu tren masing-masing antaranya di Stesen LRT KLCC, Abdullah Hukum dan Masjid Jamek.

Rosak Kali Ketiga Dalam Bulan Ini

Pada awal September lalu, LRT Kelana Jaya dilaporkan mengalami masalah teknikal di Stesen Universiti, mengakibatkan ramai penumpang terkandas dan terpaksa berjalan kaki keluar dari tren menuju ke platform.

Baru-baru ini, pengguna LRT laluan Kelana Jaya sekali lagi diduga dengan gangguan teknikal pada jam 9 malam sehingga memaksa perkhidmatan tren beroperasi menggunakan satu trek sahaja di antara Stesen Pasar Seni dan Abdullah Hukum.

Pada bulan Mei lalu, sudah ada 3 kali juga berlaku gangguan teknikal terhadap perkhidmatan tren tersebut seperti:

Insiden Brek Kecemasan Di Dalam LRT Kerana Masalah Teknikal – 2 Mei 2022
Tren ‘gagal’ beroperasi di stesen LRT Taman Jaya menuju ke arah Putra Heights – 10 Mei 2022
Tren rosak di KL Sentral, LRT Sesak – 20 Mei 2022
Gangguan akibat masalah bekalan kuasa punca – 24 Mei 2022

*Kredit foto: Berita Harian

Adakah rosak 3 kali dalam sebulan ini merupakan KPI baharu Rapid KL? Jika mahukan lebih ramai rakyat memanfaatkan pengangkutan awam, sistemnya perlulah mantap. Barulah orang ramai boleh pertimbangkan untuk guna pengangkutan awam untuk bergerak ke tempat kerja dan membantu mengurangkan kesesakan lalu lintas.