At times it is too impossibe to change attitudes but there may be a way to fix it, especially errant drivers who continously violate traffic rules. The Ministry of Transport had earlier introduced the Automated Enforcement System (AES) to reduce the number of road accidents, especially in times of
celebration long holidays.
celebration long holidays.
While the Royal Malaysian Police (PDRM) is considering to increase the traffic summons for road traffic offenders, it has also received response from Transport Minister Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai who suggested that other than the present Automated Enforcement System (AES) that could reduce accidents, the re-enforcement of Demerit Points System (Kejara) could also do both, to educate road users to be more prudent as well.
Concurring with Datuk Liow’s suggestion, the IGP Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar has also agreed and hopes that it can implemented and enforced immediately since the system has existed and was introduced in 1984. Both IGP and the minister are of the opinion that ‘Kejara’ system will be able to prevent errant motorists from further violation of traffic rules and reduce road accident.
However, the Ministry of Transport has begun to reach out for public feedbacks before the government re-enforce the Kejara system to improve and streamline the system through a more thorough research. This Kejara demerit system will probably be implemented by the end of March.
Kejara is a system in which drivers who commit particular traffic offenses are given demerit points under Vehicles Rules 1997. Provision under the demerit points will only begin when the notice of the suit was issued and their penalties settled with compounds or summons payment in court.
Whether a driver’s license is suspended or revoked depending on the points given. The previous Kejara system exercised that a first time offender will receive a warning notice and gets 20 points. Subsequent offends will be regarded as second time and at this stage punishment will start to be imposed.
Their license will be suspended for not less than 6 months and not more than 12 months. For a third time offender, a more stern punishment will charged where their driving license will be revoked but only until they have a record of 3 times suspension for the last 5 years.
To Datuk Liow, the high-income earners will not feel the pinch to settle their summons no matter how high the fines are but it will only effect the lower incomes. Therefore, the Kejara system is seen as more effective and fair to deal with the drivers’ attitude at all levels and at the same time it would educate road users.
Meanwhile, the police will still pursue to submit the proposal to raise the maximum fine for traffic offenders to the government for consideration in the near future.
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