PETALING JAYA: The lack of synchronisation between the three major enforcement agencies is the cause repeat traffic offenders continue to be on the road, Deputy Transport Minister Ab Aziz Kaprawi said. According to him, the authorities – the police, Road Transport Department (RTD) and Land Public Transport Commission (SPAD), are not linked to a common system to share information, which allows motorists, including those with numerous unpaid summonses to renew their driver’s licence, public vehicle licence, and vehicle road-tax. “All three authorities are working on different platforms and there is no one system to synchronise the information of motorists who break the law,” he was quoted saying in Malay Mail. The police and SPAD would typically present data of “serious” repeat offenders and vehicle registration numbers to RTD on a monthly basis, he said. The offences that can be blacklisted are then left to the discretion of the police, he added. “While all three agencies have a good working relationship, there is a need for an integrated system so that information can be easily and quickly shared among them.” Aziz’s remark comes following the revelation that the express bus involved in the crash near the Menora Tunnel in Ipoh on Sunday had chalked up 63 summonses over the past five years. The driver behind the wheel at the time of the incident also had nine unsettled summonses. The 63 summonses were issued to 25 drivers who had driven the bus over the years, but only six names were handed to the police to RTD to be blacklisted, said the report. This is how the registration number of the bus itself, remained off the blacklist. “This is why we need the Automated Awareness Safety System (Awas) which is an integration of the AES and Kejara points demerit system. It must come into effect as soon as possible,” Aziz said. The daily also spoke to Bukit Aman Traffic police chief SAC Mahamad Akhir Darus, who said it was unfair to single out the police in the traffic blacklist fiasco. He said, citing the case of the runaway bus, that the RTD and SPAD should have been aware of the numerous summonses issued against the drivers of the bus. “When we issue summonses and if the offenders fail to pay, we will forward our request to RTD for them to be blacklisted. “Blacklisted motorists would only be allowed to renews their licences once they pay their summonses,” he said. Thus, he said, the other departments involved in road transport enforcement, should have red-flagged motorists with many outstanding fines.

Resource: Free Malaysia Today