Govt may offer reprieve to two million AES offenders

PUTRAJAYA: Errant motorists who have been issued summonses under the Automated Enforcement System (AES) may soon be given a chance to compound their offences at a 50% discount.
The discount offer of RM150 settlement per summons may be offered over the next six months, if the Cabinet approves this proposal from the Transport Ministry.
It is hoped that the proposal, to be presented to the Cabinet this month, will reduce the government's problems surrounding the two-million outstanding court cases from the pilot phase of the AES project.
Settling the outstanding cases is important as the authorities are at the threshold of the second AES rollout, scheduled to begin in March.
Deputy Transport Minister Datuk Aziz Kaprawi told theSun the government is willing to cut the losses of unpaid traffic fines amounting to more than half a billion ringgit issued under the controversial AES.
"We are targeting to start the second phase of AES hopefully in March and are suggesting to the Cabinet to give leniency by offering a 50% discount for six months, probably from February, to traffic offenders under AES (phase one)," he said.
Those who refuse to take the opportunity to settle their summonses during the discount period will be hauled to court.
"We will suggest to the AG (Attorney-General) to initiate the legal action for the outstanding summonses," he added.
The AES cases in court had been "temporarily" suspended since Dec 18, 2012 at the direction of the AG's Chambers, for "technical" reasons.
Of the 1.91 million summonses issued from September 2012 to April 30 last year, only 264,750 AES compounds amounting to RM76,647,750 have been paid.
Currently, the traffic compound under AES is RM300 with a discount of RM150 for those who voluntarily pay within 14 days.
theSun had in October reported that the government was mulling to quash the traffic offences captured by the high-definition traffic cameras in the past in order to execute the second phase of AES.
Aziz stressed that the AES is an integral part of the government's road safety 2020 plan to reduce road fatalities.
"AES and several other steps will address the high road fatalities recorded every year. If all steps are not taken including firm traffic enforcement on the road, the death rate by 2020 will be high," he said.
For the second AES rollout at 350 proposed locations, he said a big number of the cameras will be installed at critical areas like traffic lights and intersections.
The emphasis for the AES second rollout will be on capturing offenders at traffic lights rather than speeding as based on accident statistics in 2013, there were 205 crashes at traffic light intersections and pedestrian crossings which resulted in 76 deaths and 129 injuries.
Based on the studies done by the Malaysian Institute of Road Safety Research (Miros), AES cameras at traffic light junctions have been credited with reducing the (Red-Light Running) RLR violation rate at four locations in Kuala Lumpur and Perak.
 
It showed an overall reduction of RLR violations at 1.23% a year after the installation, and 2.2% within six months of AES cameras being installed. The non-compliance rate was 4.29% before AES installation.