Kuala lumpur: Industry players have been urged to adopt digital technology and artificial intelligence (AI) to improve the efficiency of road maintenance while optimising costs and avoiding excessive spending. Works Minister Datuk Seri Alexander Nanta Linggi said the innovative approach is crucial to balancing the government's financial constraints while upgrading the country's road infrastructure.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, Nanta emphasized the need for innovation and resourcefulness in utilizing digital technology, AI, and other tools to reduce funding requirements and enhance efficiency in road construction and maintenance. He highlighted this during a conversation with reporters about the ministry's efforts to improve road infrastructure safety, following the groundbreaking ceremony for the third tunnel and the widening of the Kuala Lumpur-Karak Expressway.

Nanta underscored the importance of prioritizing road maintenance quality, noting that much of the country's road infrastructure is aging and inadequate for modern heavy-vehicle traffic. He stated that investing in road infrastructure and safety is not just physical spending but a crucial government measure to save road users' lives.

He added that this initiative aligns with the Cabinet Committee on Road Safety and Congestion, led by Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, focusing on developing targeted measures to reduce fatal road accidents. Nanta expressed concern over road accident statistics released by the Malaysian Institute of Road Safety Research (MIROS), which indicate a troubling number of fatalities.

'MIROS statistics show that 18 people lose their lives in road accidents across the country every day. This is why the government is committed to reducing accidents and saving lives,' he said.