Call for a comprehensive review of the AES project
Acting Transport Minister Datuk Hishammuddin Hussein announced yesterday that the fine for the Automated Enforcement System (AES) summonses will be reduced to RM 150 effective immediately, AES Solutions Sdn Bhd will take over from the two concessionaires and that the status of the old summonses will be decided by the Attorney General’s Chambers on the possibility of a write off.
He said the discount for the new summonses will only be given to motorists who pay within the dateline.
Last week, when commenting on the possible decision of the old summonses, Hishammuddin has said that the decision will be what the public wants.
It has been months and yet no decision has been made, so obviously Hishammudin does not know that not only the public wants the old summonses to be written off, they also want a quick decision to be made and announced.
Although the reduced rate for new summonses can help alleviate the financial burden of the traffic offenders, Hishammuddin should also know that what the public wants is a comprehensive review of the whole implementation of AES.
The review needs to include looking into the following questions and issues:-
If the AES can effectively reduce road accidents since there has been some doubt as to its effectiveness? The government needs to convince the public that the system is really effective and that the original decision to implement it was not a scheme to help 2 private companies to reap huge profits.
If the locations originally proposed are suitable as there have been complaints of unsuitable locations being targeted. One of the unsuitable locations is at the traffic light junction at 5th mile, Jalan Klang Lama, KL, in front of Pearl international hotel. That is a busy road and traffic jam occurs during peak hours. It is unreasonable for drivers who are caught in traffic jam near traffic light junction to be caught by AES camera almost daily. This AES camera should be removed.
Why not scrape the unsuitable locations and install them at accident prone locations like the Genting road where tragic bus accidents have caused many lives?
It has to be pointed out that here are also complaints that the speed limits imposed on some of the locations selected are just impractical and must first be reviewed.
If the proposed 831 cameras are too many? So far, only 14 cameras have been installed, but tens of thousands of summonses have been issued, how many will be issued when 831 are installed?
When so many cameras are installed resulting in “ traps “ everywhere, even discounted summonses or increased amount of BR1M ( Bantuan Rakyat 1 Malaysia ) will not help ease the people’s burden.
Hisahmmuddin should know that laws cannot be effective if people’s attitudes don’t change. He must therefore not over rely on enforcement and create speed traps everywhere to penalize drivers.
Finally, it was reported in Sin Chew Daily today that former Transport Minister Datuk Kong Cho Ha, when asked about the issue of compensating the concessionaires, has said he does not understand the issue of compensation because has never seen the government contract with the concessionaires and that he always obtained information on AES from government officials’ briefings.
These remarks show how irresponsible and ineffective a Transport Minister he was.
His decision to privatise the AES project will result in taxpayers’ money to be used to compensate the private companies.
The least he should do is to offer a public apology instead of making the above irresponsible and laughable remarks.
