Privatisation of traffic cameras

The RTD is coming up with a new scheme to encourage traffic offenders to settle their fines early. Has this got anything to do with the impending privatisation of the installation and maintenance of hundreds of traffic cameras across the country?

The Edge recently reported the impending privatisation to two obscure local firms, which will be given five-year concessions. The firms will be buying the cameras and other equipment from Germany and Australia.

Under the financial model, the two firms would reportedly be paid a percentage of the fines – but only when the fines are actually paid or collected.

Malaysiakini reported the RTD deputy director-general Ismail Ahmad as saying.

“The concept that we are introducing is that the more you delay, the more you pay, but for offenders who pay quickly, for example within the first two weeks of the compound being issued, they only need to pay RM100.

“But if you delay to within 15 to 30 days, the compound becomes RM150 and if you delay further to 30 to 60 days the compound can become the maximum RM300, depending on the offence,” he said.

He added that an offender will only need to go to court and face the possibility of the maximum fine if they opt for it, fail to pay the compound within 60 days or is a habitual offender where the offence is committed thrice in two months.

Why privatise the traffic cameras in the first place? I suppose the answer to that is obvious.

- anilnetto