Latest news with #AutomatedEnforcementSystem
New Straits Times
19 hours ago
- Automotive
- New Straits Times
NST Leader: Unpaid traffic summonses
Malaysian vehicle owners particularly resent paying traffic summonses for illegal parking, unless forced by police action. Motorists tend to view summonses in three informal categories. First, local council tickets are often ignored due to their perceived lack of enforcement power. Second, traffic police summonses have more legal weight, as non-payment can lead to arrest warrants. Still, many ignore them, especially for illegal parking. RTD summonses, however, are usually taken seriously, as they block road tax and licence renewals until the summonses are paid. Even then, the most stubborn ignore police and RTD's annual flat rate amnesty offers. RTD said that it collected only RM56 million from 374,024 summonses, far below the potential amount, which could have been double or triple that amount. This suggests that many drivers aren't deterred by blacklisting — they continue driving without insurance, road tax or licences. The police discount, valid until June 30, offers a flat RM150 rate for speeding and traffic light violations — similar to RTD's offer. Here lies the problem. Motorists' blase attitude towards these offers reflects a contempt for traffic laws and penalties. This contempt has translated into more serious traffic offences, and more tragic accidents. Since the discounts don't improve road safety, it's time to scrap them and revive tougher penalties that deter offenders. Sure, that would mean more officers and working hours to round up offenders. Police may have to return to making "house calls" on offenders but it's a necessary price to forcibly change an entrenched mindset. There is a plausible solution: integrate data sharing between the traffic police, RTD, Land Public Transport Commission (SPAD) and, while we are at it, the local councils. Under this integration, summonses imposed by traffic police and local councils are automatically recorded by the RTD and SPAD, which immediately blacklist drivers and vehicles with outstanding summonses. Alas, this may not happen in the near future because these agencies and their processes operate independently with little push to exchange data and information. Even when traffic police files a request to the RTD to blacklist certain offenders, the process is tedious and inefficient. Still, this logical and unified system isn't sidelined just yet: there are still efforts to combine the Automated Awareness Safety System, the Automated Enforcement System and the Kejara points demerit system. There's only one problem: this initiative had been lumbering for more than a decade and it is still lumbering.
Rakyat Post
5 days ago
- Automotive
- Rakyat Post
AwAS Point-To-Point Speed Monitoring System Not Yet Implemented
Subscribe to our FREE Messages that the government will activate the point-to-point speed monitoring system under the new Automated Awareness Safety System (AwAS) camera on all major highways starting 1 June 2025 have been making its rounds on WhatsApp. It has also found its way to However, a major part of this story has conveniently been left out. What is AwAS? AwAS is Malaysia's upgraded traffic enforcement system designed to improve road safety. It is a government initiative that combines the older Automated Enforcement System (AES) with Demerit Points System For Traffic Offences (KEJARA). The system will automatically detect and record traffic offences committed by road users through detector cameras installed on highways. Among the many things that this system is capable of doing is the point-to-point speed monitoring system. On highways, the system will calculate the average speed based on the travel time between one toll plaza to another. Should a road user arrive earlier than the minimum expected time based on the speed limit, the system will detect the offence and a court summons will be issued straight away. Not just an ordinary traffic ticket. Photo: Freepik Several months ago, the government said they were planning a pilot test for this function, not a full activation. At the time, it was said the pilot test would involve two locations beginning 1 June. The AI-Based system was originally planned for pilot testing at two major highways which are; From the Genting Sempah Tunnel to the Gombak Rest Stop, and From the Senawang Toll Plaza to the Simpang Ampat Toll Plaza in Alor Gajah. Other than that, the system is also expected to be installed in other high-risk and accident-prone areas like the route between the Menora Tunnel to the Sungai Perak R&R. Is it activated? According to The Malay daily said they were informed about this by the office of the Transport Minister and that no new date has been given. Share your thoughts with us via TRP's . Get more stories like this to your inbox by signing up for our newsletter.
New Straits Times
17-05-2025
- New Straits Times
Expert proposes a whole-of-nation approach to prevent heavy vehicle crashes
Slug: izberat HL: Expert proposes a whole-of-nation approach to prevent heavy vehicle crashes Adie Zulkifli ALOR STAR: A whole-of-nation approach is the only viable solution to effectively address recurring tragedies involving heavy vehicles and public transport fleets, according to criminologist and road safety advocate Kamal Affandi Hashim. He emphasised the urgent need for all stakeholders, including the government, fleet operators, academics, and civil society, to shift their focus towards risk management and prevention rather than merely reacting after a tragedy occurs. "We need a dedicated 'war room' on this issue. Academics may understand the theory and policy, but fleet operators have practical, on-the-ground experience. "So, we must bring both perspectives together to form a comprehensive and balanced understanding of what has gone wrong," he told the New Straits Times. Kamal underscored the need for in-depth studies into the entire ecosystem of fleet operations – encompassing operators, vehicles, spare parts, and drivers – to identify and address the root causes of such incidents. "We must stop treating this as a problem confined to a few parties. It's time to re-engineer our approach and acknowledge shared responsibility. We need to engage as many government agencies and industry players as possible. "Imposing fines after a tragedy is not enough. The core principle must be prevention." Kamal was responding to questions raised by road safety experts following a recent fatal crash involving a lorry and a police truck, which claimed the lives of nine Federal Reserve Unit (FRU) personnel. Experts have criticised the formation of yet another task force in the wake of the tragedy, arguing that previous inquiries into fatal crashes have produced findings and recommendations that remain largely unknown or unimplemented. Kamal also cited the use of counterfeit spare parts by fleet operators as a critical issue that must be addressed. "The government could consider introducing initiatives to encourage the use of genuine spare parts rather than counterfeit or second-hand components, which are often used to cut costs. "This may involve reviewing taxes or excise duties to make quality spare parts more affordable," he said. He also proposed that the government incentivise the adoption of fleet monitoring systems, enabling the collection of essential data on vehicle movements and driver behaviour. "Such data could then be analysed by the Malaysian Institute of Road Safety Research (MIROS) to assess the safety standards of both drivers and fleets." Kamal suggested involving the Ministry of Human Resources to support road safety training programmes for commercial drivers. He stressed the need to enhance the capabilities of the Automated Enforcement System (AES) cameras installed along major expressways. "Currently, these cameras measure speed, but not vehicle dimensions. That's why you still see buses and lorries exceeding the 90km/h speed limit for heavy vehicles – they know they won't be flagged. "This poses a significant risk to other road users, as heavy vehicles require a much longer braking distance."
