PUTRAJAYA: The Road Transport Department (RTD) has advised traffic offenders to pay their Automated Enforcement System (AES) summonses received after Apr 15 2017 as soon as possible, or face court action.
Motorists who committed offences prior to Apr 15 – before the implementation of the Automated Awareness System (Awas) and the Demerit Point System (Kejara) system – are liable only to be charged a levy.
RTD director-general Datuk Seri Nadzri Siron said errant drivers who fail to settle their AES compounds of RM150 can be fined a maximum of RM2,000 if their case is taken to court.
"The levy imposed by the government (without threat of court action) is only applicable to those who received their AES summonses before April 15 this year.
“Those who received their AES summonses after that date will have to pay up. We will not hesitate to take them to court if they fail to do so," Nadzri told reporters after signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Skills Development Department (JPK) under the Human Resources Ministry.
The RTD incorporated the AES into the Automated Awareness System (Awas) and the Demerit Point System (Kejara) on April 15 this year to help reduce road accidents caused by motorists who speed or beat the red light.
About 19,230 summonses were issued within 13 days after the Awas system was introduced.
There are currently 21 AES cameras placed at strategic locations nationwide. More cameras will be installed in accident-prone areas, Nadzri said.
However, he declined to reveal more details on the additional speed trap cameras.
"Our intention is to educate people on good driving ethics," he said, refuting rumours circulating on social media that the RTD simply intends to "make money" through the AES.
"It's not true that we have the AES cameras at the toll plaza as alleged," he reiterated. "The cameras are installed in hotspot areas and they’re only one-way. The images captured will be either of the front or rear of your car. We only want to see your car plate number," he added.
Nadzri also advised the public to be more alert of AES signage, which are placed between 50 to 500 metres from the cameras’ location.
On the recent shake-up at the RTD, which saw its high-ranking officials being transferred out, Nadzri assured that the move will not affect his department's enforcement crackdowns, as his teams are tech-savvy and able to multi-task.
On another matter, he said the RTD will launch its mobile applications soon, so that the public can check the status of their traffic summonses easily.