The road transport department (JPJ) and Royal Malaysia Police (PDRM) should stop offering discounts on summons to those who have committed traffic offences, according to Dr Law Teik Hua, associate professor at University Putra Malaysia’s road safety research centre.
As reported by Harian Metro, Law noted this practice of giving discounts (on summons) would only result in road users continuing to disrespect the law and isn’t a good thing. “Malaysia is the only country (that gives a discount). I have never heard of any other country giving a discount on summons. Not even our neighboring countries. Does Singapore have one? Singapore doesn’t have one,” he told the news outlet.
“We (should) not use the excuse of giving a discount to get people to play their summons. When we say that, it seems to sends a message that (the authorities) just want their money. This information has been widely accepted by the public. In the end, the law is not respected,” he added.
Law also suggested that the Kejara demerit points system be improved in terms of efficiency, and that a central database be shared between JPJ and PDRM. “They cannot manage it separately. When they manage it separately, it will weaken the effect or impact of the Kejara system,” he explained.
“For (the authorities) to get the latest information related to traffic offences, this database must be streamlined. I think this is one of the efficient ways to solve the problem (those who do not pay the summons). Otherwise, everyone will not be afraid,” he said.
The matter of whether discounts on summons should be retained or abolished has been around for some time. Law’s stance on it was the same when he spoke the FMT back in April this year, but the practice is still ongoing. A few years ago in 2019, transport minister Anthony Loke said no more discounts would be offered, but Bukit Aman replied that without a discount scheme, the police would be unable to collect revenue.
Where do you stand on this matter? Should the authorities stop offering discounts on summons? Share your thoughts on this matter in the comments below.
The post PDRM and JPJ should stop giving discounts for traffic <em>saman</em>, improve Kejara system – road safety expert appeared first on Paul Tan's Automotive News.
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