Summons discount betrayal of law-abiding citizens

 

YOURSAY | 'If you can't pay the fine, don't commit the crime.'

'Mockery of law': Consumer group wants end to traffic summons discounts

Bobbyo: It is true that this arrangement is not fair to those who pay on time.

Yet year in year out, there is a backlog of unpaid fines, dating back many years.

Also, due to these fines not being paid, many drivers have not renewed their driving licences, insurance and road tax.

Not forgetting the fact that many Malaysians' mode of earning a living is by driving.

These fines are not cheap, and many Malaysians cannot afford to come up with such amounts.

There is also another problem. There are limited parking lots available in the city, and the fees charged by private parking companies of RM3 to RM5 an hour are too high.

It easily costs a meal for some poor drivers. The next problem is that the speeding limit of 60kph within a town or city, or even 110kph on the highways, is not easy to follow.

This led to the authorities issuing one summons after another. The Road Transport Department (RTD), the police and each state have their own enforcement laws.

Summonses pile up year after year, some of them even up to 15 years overdue.

The authorities are right in trying to clear these backdated summonses amounting to millions of ringgit.

Until they come up with a system where the payment of summonses is cleared within the same year, and those who have not paid will be stopped by the authorities, this problem of unpaid summonses will continue.

A real solution must be found.

FitnessPro: I always pay on the same day I receive my summons, including parking fines.

The beautiful thing about this practice is, I am only paying a small portion of the actual amount.

Definitely not 100 percent. For example, if I get fined for parking haphazardly, which I don’t do, and the fine is RM100, I am only paying RM10 if I pay on the same day.

This is the truth. And the beautiful thing is, I have one less thing to worry about.

I actually have more joy and fewer things on my shoulders to carry.

Yes, they get a 70 percent discount for their delay. And yes, it is a mockery to me who abides by the law and does my best not to be a nuisance to others.

But at least, between God and me, my conscience is clear! By doing this, I really can smile.

TM My Foot: If you can’t pay the fine, don’t commit the crime.

How many times have discounts been given for traffic summonses?

Did that curb traffic violations? On the contrary. From the numbers, more fines have been issued, and road users have stayed stubborn.

Now, even the rich who can afford luxury cars don’t pay road taxes. Don’t tell me the police and RTD don’t know this?

The authorities are indeed encouraging road users to commit more violations.

VioletOrca0545: I hope the “pay early, get discount” scheme is only applicable for minor offences.

For the more serious ones, don't allow road tax and licence renewal until they clear the summons.

If the summons is still not paid after two years, haul them up to court and force them to do community service.

The same goes for repeat offenders.

Ignore all the sob stories about how tough the person's life is.

There are still a lot more law-abiding citizens who are poor. Don't break the law if you can't afford the summons.

HJ Angus: I agree with the Consumers’ Association of Penang (CAP).

Such exercises simply show that the authorities are too lazy to implement the laws!

I suggest that only an administrative discount of 15 to 20 percent be allowed for summons paid within 30 days of the incident.

A summons can only be compounded if issued within 10 days of the offence.

We can also create a 24/7 traffic court to handle the many cases.

GreenHare9358: This is another mockery we ignored for decades, allowing many to exploit the system by collecting summonses, waiting for yearly discounts, and continuing the same habit in the following years.

Waking up to reality, finally, apparently having regained our voices at last, thanks to this government.

Hopefully, we’ll be back to educating road users and enforcing traffic rules strictly like we used to.

Marriwala: If you wanted to give 70 percent discount, then you should only enforce 30 percent of the law earlier.

Why waste so much on overtime and allowance doing roadblocks at night and odd hours, and then give discounts?

Chefoo: I am utterly frustrated with these discount periods.

I pay on time, but those who never make the effort to pay get a whopping 70 percent discount.

What sort of system is this? This is not only a mockery of law but a betrayal of all law-abiding citizens. - Mkini