Caught in the act: A motorist being issued a summons notice during the ‘Respect Traffic Laws Ops’ in Bukit Bintang, Kuala Lumpur. The large-scale integrated operation is being held for a month. — SHAARI CHEMAT/ The Star
KUALA LUMPUR: City police are on a serious drive to keep the roads clear and traffic moving.
In just three weeks, a whopping 117,745 summonses were issued in a special operation against errant road users – about 5,600 summonses a day.
Not surprisingly, 83% of the summonses were for offences related to traffic obstruction, the primary cause of horrendous traffic jams in the city.
Kuala Lumpur police also came down hard on another offence often overlooked and ignored by motorists – stopping one’s vehicle beyond the white line at traffic lights or junctions and in a yellow box.
The operation, called “Respect Traffic Laws Ops”, was launched on July 3.
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Kuala Lumpur police traffic investigations and enforcement department (JSPT) chief ACP Sarifudin Mohd Salleh said that until late on Monday, 97,750 summonses were issued for offences related to traffic obstructions such double parking and parking haphazardly.
“Crossing the white line or stopping in a yellow box can cause obstruction to pedestrians and traffic flow. At times, it can also tempt a motorist to beat the red lights.
“This operation is to educate road users, but with enforcement. There will no longer be any tolerance. They need to learn to respect the law.” Sarifudin told The Star.
He said 4,306 summonses were issued against motorists who failed to stop before the white line at traffic lights while 298 summonses were issued against those who broke the yellow box rule.
Those who commit either of the offences will be hit with RM300 fines under the Road Traffic Rules 1959.
Federal police JSPT deputy director DCP Datuk Mohd Nasri Omar said the crackdown by Kuala Lumpur police should serve as a lesson to road users nationwide, especially those in larger cities that they need to obey traffic laws, even when parking their cars.
“Haphazardly or double parking a car might seem like simple offence but what many fail to see is the chain reaction that comes with it.
“It can lead to traffic congestion and bring traffic to a standstill. This affects those travelling to school, work or on emergency.” he said.
Mohd Nasri said that with the huge increase in high-rise housing in KL, solutions should studied to overcome the issue of vehicles overcrowding.
“If the resident of a single apartment unit have more than one vehicle, they will end up parking their cars outside the building and by the road shoulders. This has caused traffic congestion in many areas.
“When road users complain, we will have to take action.” he said.
