Introduced just two years ago, the RM700 million Automated Enforcement System (AES) to nab speeding motorists is now nothing more than a white elephant, unable to fulfil its purpose to prevent speed violations because of pending legal issues.
Summonses are still being issued under the system – nearly RM1.5 million at the latest count – but few people are paying up because a freeze by the Attorney-General on the blacklisting of offenders who don't pay fines in time is still in place.
The Road Transport Department (RTD) revealed that only some 200,000 summonses out of the total have been settled but without the power to blacklist those who don't pay, the AES has become an ineffective tool to prevent speeding violations.
RTD director-general Datuk Seri Ismail Ahmad told The Malaysian Insider that the AES was still in effect but it was a futile mechanism as long as the freeze stays in place.
"The AES is in operation and we have continued to hand out summonses but there has been no decision from the A-G as yet on whether we can blacklist those who have not paid up within a certain period of time.
"As long as there is no decision on the matter, we cannot blacklist anyone. So this has rendered the AES ineffective," he said.
In the ongoing Parliament sitting, the Transport Ministry recently said in a written reply to Pokok Sena MP Datuk Mahfuz Omar (PAS) that a total of 1,492,084 AES summonses worth RM51.4 million have been issued since its inception on September 23, 2012, until August 31 this year.
Out of that number, a whopping 1,298,015 summonses have not been paid.
The ministry, in its written reply, also said that there were 10 fixed and four mobile AES cameras in operation at 14 accident-prone locations in Selangor, Kuala Lumpur, Putrajaya and Perak.
Under the AES, photographs and video images of vehicles flouting traffic rules are captured, before summonses are issued to the offenders.
Problems arose as police continued their enforcement against speeding motorists in parallel with the privatised AES, causing motorists to complain about being summoned twice. A handful challenged the summonses received under the AES in court, leading to the Attorney-General's order to freeze the blacklisting of offenders.
Ismail said that if traffic offenders who were summoned do not want to pay, there was nothing that the RTD could do.
"We cannot do anything other than keep urging them to pay up. But if they don't, we cannot force them or do anything pending the A-G's decision," he said adding that the RTD was still able to blacklist motorists for other offences not related to the AES.
"We are ready anytime to blacklist offenders under the AES if the A-G gives the go-ahead. But of course, there will be a notice period for motorists to settle their compounds before the blacklisting takes into effect."
The RTD had previously pledged to fix a total of 831 cameras to catch speeding motorists and prevent more road deaths as part of the pilot phase of the AES project implemented in September 2012.
However, three months later, the A-G's Chambers ordered a halt to all court proceedings related to summonses issued under the AES to study legal issues raised following a public outcry.
The prospect of errant motorists being slapped with dual fines cropped up after the police, who enforce speeding laws, said they would continue enforcement and put up mobile speed traps near the AES cameras.
Opposition leaders have also questioned the awarding of the RM700 million AES deal to two firms – ATES Sdn Bhd and Beta Tegap – who will be entitled to RM16 for each valid summons for the first five million issued.
It was reported that the remaining revenue will then be split evenly between the two companies and the government up to a cap of RM270 million each.
The firms will each receive 7.5% from the remaining revenue and the government will keep the rest.
Pakatan Rakyat claimed that the companies are linked to the MCA and Umno but this has been vehemently denied.
Last year, the-then acting transport minister Datuk Seri Hishammudin Hussein announced a 50% discount for the AES summonses, where traffic offenders only had to pay RM150 instead of RM300 for each AES summons if they paid up quickly.
He had also said that a wholly-owned government company, AES Solutions Sdn Bhd, would take over the management of AES from ATES and Beta Tegap. – October 18, 2014.
- See more at: http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/malaysia/article/after-rm700-million-spent-automated-traffic-enforcement-system-now-useless#sthash.nE9izGMn.dpuf
Summonses are still being issued under the system – nearly RM1.5 million at the latest count – but few people are paying up because a freeze by the Attorney-General on the blacklisting of offenders who don't pay fines in time is still in place.
The Road Transport Department (RTD) revealed that only some 200,000 summonses out of the total have been settled but without the power to blacklist those who don't pay, the AES has become an ineffective tool to prevent speeding violations.
RTD director-general Datuk Seri Ismail Ahmad told The Malaysian Insider that the AES was still in effect but it was a futile mechanism as long as the freeze stays in place.
"The AES is in operation and we have continued to hand out summonses but there has been no decision from the A-G as yet on whether we can blacklist those who have not paid up within a certain period of time.
"As long as there is no decision on the matter, we cannot blacklist anyone. So this has rendered the AES ineffective," he said.
In the ongoing Parliament sitting, the Transport Ministry recently said in a written reply to Pokok Sena MP Datuk Mahfuz Omar (PAS) that a total of 1,492,084 AES summonses worth RM51.4 million have been issued since its inception on September 23, 2012, until August 31 this year.
Out of that number, a whopping 1,298,015 summonses have not been paid.
The ministry, in its written reply, also said that there were 10 fixed and four mobile AES cameras in operation at 14 accident-prone locations in Selangor, Kuala Lumpur, Putrajaya and Perak.
Under the AES, photographs and video images of vehicles flouting traffic rules are captured, before summonses are issued to the offenders.
Problems arose as police continued their enforcement against speeding motorists in parallel with the privatised AES, causing motorists to complain about being summoned twice. A handful challenged the summonses received under the AES in court, leading to the Attorney-General's order to freeze the blacklisting of offenders.
Ismail said that if traffic offenders who were summoned do not want to pay, there was nothing that the RTD could do.
"We cannot do anything other than keep urging them to pay up. But if they don't, we cannot force them or do anything pending the A-G's decision," he said adding that the RTD was still able to blacklist motorists for other offences not related to the AES.
"We are ready anytime to blacklist offenders under the AES if the A-G gives the go-ahead. But of course, there will be a notice period for motorists to settle their compounds before the blacklisting takes into effect."
The RTD had previously pledged to fix a total of 831 cameras to catch speeding motorists and prevent more road deaths as part of the pilot phase of the AES project implemented in September 2012.
However, three months later, the A-G's Chambers ordered a halt to all court proceedings related to summonses issued under the AES to study legal issues raised following a public outcry.
The prospect of errant motorists being slapped with dual fines cropped up after the police, who enforce speeding laws, said they would continue enforcement and put up mobile speed traps near the AES cameras.
Opposition leaders have also questioned the awarding of the RM700 million AES deal to two firms – ATES Sdn Bhd and Beta Tegap – who will be entitled to RM16 for each valid summons for the first five million issued.
It was reported that the remaining revenue will then be split evenly between the two companies and the government up to a cap of RM270 million each.
The firms will each receive 7.5% from the remaining revenue and the government will keep the rest.
Pakatan Rakyat claimed that the companies are linked to the MCA and Umno but this has been vehemently denied.
Last year, the-then acting transport minister Datuk Seri Hishammudin Hussein announced a 50% discount for the AES summonses, where traffic offenders only had to pay RM150 instead of RM300 for each AES summons if they paid up quickly.
He had also said that a wholly-owned government company, AES Solutions Sdn Bhd, would take over the management of AES from ATES and Beta Tegap. – October 18, 2014.
- See more at: http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/malaysia/article/after-rm700-million-spent-automated-traffic-enforcement-system-now-useless#sthash.nE9izGMn.dpuf
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