Private-owned vehicles biggest culprits: JPJ

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KUCHING:  A total of 52,410 summonses were issued by the state Road Transport Department (JPJ) for various offences under the Road Transportation Act (APJ) and Vehicle Licensing Authority Act (ALKP) for the period beginning Jan to Nov 30, 2009.State JPJ director Abdul Hamed Akob said that the highest number of summonses issued were for private-owned vehicles totalling 41,026, followed by goods transportation vehicles at 10,874.

ALL FOR SAFETY: Hamed (right) with the Road Safety Department director Raya Rano Aylwini Akat (left) during the ‘Ops Bersepadu’ on Thursday night.

ALL FOR SAFETY: Hamed (right) with the Road Safety Department director Raya Rano Aylwini Akat (left) during the ‘Ops Bersepadu’ on Thursday night.

Hamed said: “Our statistic shows that the most issued summonses were for private owned vehicles such as cars and motorcycles followed by goods transportation vehicles. Public transport such as buses and taxis recorded a total of 469 summonses while 49 summonses were issued to company-registered vehicles.”

According to him, the highest offences committed by the motorists were driving without valid licence at 13,613. A further 8,637 summonses were for traffic obstruction and technical fault on vehicles which recorded 6,948.

“Other offences committed were vehicles without valid road tax (6,542 summonses), overloaded vehicles at 2,209 and going against traffic light where 2,097 summonses were issued,” Hamed said.

Hamed also highlighted that cases which were brought to court also increased for the said period at 13,068. In addition, the fines collected by the court also increased.

He also said that many people were caught not wearing seat belts in the state. He stressed that the number of those not wearing seat belts were very high even though numerous awareness campaigns and advocacy programmes had been held before the enforcement.

Based on statistic released by the state JPJ, the state recorded the highest number of those caught not wearing seat belts cases in Malaysia.

Hamed said: “It’s not difficult to wear a seat belt. Like when we board a plane, we just have to get used to it. Make it a habit.”

At the same time, Hamed said that JPJ also enforced the law on unlicensed taxis, and to date, 156 such vehicles had been issued with compound. From the total, 23 were vehicles from the neighbouring country and all the said vehicles had been confiscated.

“The enforcement on illegal taxis is focused on all the major towns in the state. Based on our four months’ study since September, about 750 illegal taxis were tracked and we will continue with the monitoring before JPJ takes further action,” Hamed added.