Unpaid parking compounds are not blacklisted, says Ministry
PUTRAJAYA: Deputy Transport Minister Datuk Aziz Kaprawi has cleared the air over the policy to blacklist vehicles for not settling summonses.
Aziz told theSun that only traffic offenders with outstanding summonses under the Road Transport Act 1987 are blacklisted.
In addressing the public confusion on the ultimatum by local councils to settle outstanding parking and traffic summonses, he said, only three local governments so far have been given access to integrate with the Road Transport Department (RTD) system for RTD to blacklist vehicles with outstanding traffic summonses.
They are Kuala Lumpur City Hall, Petaling Jaya City Council (MBPJ) and Shah Alam City Council (MBSA).
Aziz also confirmed that the blacklisting by RTD won't be applicable for unpaid parking compounds issued by local councils.
"For example, if you don't pay parking fees for designated parking bays provided by local councils and receive summonses, it is only an offence under local government by-laws such as Road Traffic Order (Metered Car Park) and Road Traffic Order (Provision Regarding Car Parks)."
He added local councils could haul up errant motorists to court for outstanding parking compounds.
Aziz said summonses issued by local councils for parking at bus stops and fire hydrants, driving or riding on pedestrian walkways, parking on yellow lines and others, come under the definition of traffic offences.
He said 125 local councils have already applied to link up with the RTD database with the purpose to obtain the address of vehicle owners who didn't settle the compounds.
"This is just for data sharing with local councils for them to send out reminders to car owners to settle unpaid fines and not for the purpose of blacklisting," said Aziz.
Till last December, City Hall had launched special discount campaigns to coax motorists to clear nearly two million outstanding summonses issued between 2007 and 2013.
In March, MBPJ had succeeded in collecting RM1.6 million after offering a two-month period for discounts up to 80% for traffic and parking summonses issued as far back as 1999.
"Many paid (the fines) after we stated that vehicles with outstanding compounds will be blacklisted by the RTD," Petaling Jaya mayor Mohd Aziz Mohd Zain had said.