Drivers who abuse emergency lane will be hauled to court

KUALA LUMPUR: Drivers who are caught abusing the emergency lane will now be brought straight to court instead of being able to pay a small fine for the offense.
Road Transport Department (JPJ) enforcement director Datuk Valluvan Veloo said the no-nonsense approach was an attempt to change drivers' attitudes.
"A fraction of drivers frequently misuse the emergency lane, so much so that it has become a habit already. We had to do something to prevent this from becoming mainstream.
"Since May, all drivers who are caught abusing the emergency lane by JPJ or reported by the public will be brought straight to court," Valluvan said in a press conference today.
JPJ began clamping down on the offense when an ambulance responding to an accident on the North-South Expressway near Malacca on May 22 was severely delayed as the emergency lane was clogged with irresponsible drivers.
It is said that two victims of the accident may have been able to survive if the ambulance was able to provide urgent medical assistance.
News of the incident went viral on social media and JPJ started asking members of the public to take photos of offenders and report them to the department.
Valluvan said JPJ had since received reports on 1,300 cases of emergency lane abuse and the offending drivers are all going to be brought to court.
On the incident in Malacca, he said 79 vehicles have been identified and 50 court summonses has already been issued to the car owners.