Top priority for better roads: Pairin
Published on: Thursday, October 08, 2015
Kota Kinabalu: Low quality of roads could hamper the Malaysia Road Safety Plan leading to rising road accidents and the government's efforts to increase public safety must be complemented by cooperation from NGOs, the private sector and all layers of the community.Deputy Chief Minister cum Infrastructure Development Minister Tan Sri Joseph Pairin Kitingan said the plan, rolled out in November last year, was a part of a greater effort to increase the level of road safety in the country to be at par with those of a developed nation."As a responsible and caring society, we recognise that road accidents are a serious issue which must be tackled and handled delicately. Top on the priority list must be our efforts to provide the best and safest road infrastructure," he said.ADVERTISEMENT Pairin said this during the official launch of new Shell bitumen grade here, Wednesday.Also present were Sabah Shell General Manager Ian Lim, Shell Bitumen Asia and Middle East General Manager Emily Tan and Shell Bitumen Global General Manager of Technology Prof. John Read.Pairin said better roads not only provide better connectivity but they contribute significantly towards reduction in fuel consumption and safe driving."That is why I am pleased that Shell, a worldwide bitumen technology leader, regularly works closely with the government and authorities around the world, including right here in our beautiful State, to ensure better roads for Sabah.ADVERTISEMENT "We are always keen to ensure the people benefit from better infrastructure, as it is crucial in developing a community, be it from linking businesses together, farmers to markets, the people to hospitals, and children to schools," he said.The 60/70 penetration grade bitumen is designed to be more suitable for the Malaysian climate and in his presentation, Read said, adding it has a higher tolerance to high ambient temperature and better resistance to road deformation than the traditional 80/100 grade currently used in Malaysia.
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"This grade is intended for better road performance, as it is more suited to Malaysia's tropical climate and increasing traffic loads, compared to 80/100 grade."Shell is proud to be the first supplier to offer this new product grade in Sabah," he said.Shell's commitment to research and development has enabled it to bring numerous firsts to the bitumen industry such as coloured binders, low-temperature solutions, low-odour bitumen and underwater glue. Shell today holds 49 patents in bitumen technologies alone. In Malaysia, Shell Bitumen has an impressive resume of projects, including runways at major international airports in Kuala Lumpur (KLIA), Kota Kinabalu (KKIA), Kuching and Penang. Its solutions have also been used in major infrastructure projects such as the Plus Expressway, the longest highway in Peninsular Malaysia and the Federal Highway. Sepang International Circuit, South East Asia's first F1 circuit, also used Shell Cariphalte Racetrack, a specially formulated bitumen solution to pave its surface.Stay up-to-date by following Daily Express’s Telegram channel.
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Shell Bitumen's solutions have also been used in numerous major projects around the world, including iconic F1 racing circuits in Abu Dhabi, Bahrain, Germany (Hockenheim and Nurburgring), Malaysia, Singapore's street circuit, as well as Ferrari's own test track, in Fiorano, Italy. Its airport solutions have also been used at eight of the world's top 10 busiest airports which includes Dubai International Airport's ambitious 80-day runway rehabilitation project in 2014.