Mazlan holds a sticker before putting it onto one of the motorcycles of the patrol unit.
KUCHING: The police will not compromise with stubborn traffic offenders during ‘Op Selamat 10/2017’, a road safety campaign held in conjunction with the Chinese New Year celebrations this year.
State Police Commissioner Datuk Mazlan Mansor advised motorists to observe the traffic rules, failing which, summonses would be issued.
According to him, the operation from Jan 21 to Feb 5, would maintain its total enforcement approach. On-the-spot enforcement would be imposed on traffic offenders within the 16-day operation period.
“A surveillance squad from the state Traffic Investigation and Enforcement Department has been established as an approach to reduce road fatalities, focusing on ‘black spot’ areas and to assist in easing the traffic flow during the operation,” he said at the launch of the operation in Kuching Waterfront yesterday.
Mazlan said eight methods would be implemented throughout the operation period such as ‘patrolling’ to ensure smoother traffic flow, no obstacles and carrying out (point duty) if need be and ‘district-by-district monitoring’.
He added that ‘Op Lancar’ would also be launched to ease the traffic flow at congested areas while ‘Op Perangkap Laju’ (TRU CAM) would be implemented at accident-prone areas together with ‘Op Ronda’.
He added that the patrolling team would also gather feedback from the public through ‘Stop and Talk’, in addition to carrying out enforcement duties.
He said a ‘Response Team’ had also been established to provide immediate response during an accident, disaster and other emergencies.
The campaign is also aimed at reducing the number of road accidents which recorded an increase during ‘Op Selamat 8/2016’ with 722 cases, an increase of 110 cases or 18 per cent compared to the previous year’s record (Op Selamat 6/2015).
“On the number of traffic summonses issued during Chinese New Year celebrations last year, the police have issued 14,249 summonses, an increase of 174 cases or 1.2 per cent while 14,075 summonses were issued in 2015,” he said.
On another note, Mazlan said that unattended premises were among their focus during the operation in line with their theme ‘Rumah Selamat, Selamat Sampai ke Destinasi’.
He also urged the public to notify the police before leaving their homes unattended to by filling up the ‘Balik Kampung’ forms.
He added that the operation was also focusing on express boat operators to ensure the safety of passengers and also to achieve the ‘zero accident’ goal on the rivers during this festive season.
State Crime Prevention and Community Safety Department chief SAC Shafie Ismail, head of the State Traffic Investigation and Enforcement Department Supt Muhammad Sar’ie Fauzi and Kuching police chief ACP Abang Ahmad Abang Julai were also present at the launching ceremony.