KUALA LUMPUR: More than 10,000 motorists have settled their Automated Enforcement System (AES) summonses out of 274,000 issued since the system was implemented on Sept 23.
Road Transport Department deputy director-general Datuk Ismail Ahmad said the payment rate was still low when compared to the number of summonses issued.
“Motorists must understand that the AES is not implemented to burden them, but it is instead a method to reduce road accidents,” he told reporters after launching a Road Safety Awareness Campaign organised by the Consumers Protection and Welfare Board (LPKPM) at the Sungai Besi Toll Plaza here.
Ismail said various challenges were faced by enforcement agencies in reducing road accidents, especially fatalities, such as the increase in the number of vehicles and drivers each year.
He said the country experienced an increase of about 1.1 million vehicles a year and an additional of 400,000 drivers, which posed a challenge to the department and other enforcement agencies in reducing fatalities in Malaysia.
“Actually, the increase in the number of vehicles and drivers is not a problem. What’s important is that motorists have self-awareness and take the initiative to reduce road fatalities,” he said.
He said the government had also set a target to reduce the Key Performance Index (KPI) for fatalities from 3.8 people out of 10,000 motorists to 2.0 by 2020.
Ismail lauded LPKPM’s initiative in reducing road fatalities through such safety campaigns.
“These campaigns are initiatives that we encourage because the community and enforcement agencies need to work together to handle this matter, instead of leaving it all to the enforcement only,” he added. — Bernama