AES TRAFFIC FINES MAY BE WRITTEN OFF AS PUBLIC ANGER WITH GOVT GROWS

PUTRAJAYA - Over 1.6 million traffic offences captured by Automated Enforcement System (AES) cameras in the past may be quashed soon.

It is reliably learnt that the authorities are likely to drop pending charges against offenders and write off about half a billion ringgit in collectable fines from AES cases since September 2012.

Offences recorded from AES cameras at 14 locations were "temporarily suspended" since Dec 18, 2012 at the direction of the Attorney-General's Chambers (AGC) for "technical" reasons.

Sources told theSun the government is prepared to drop the offences captured by AES during the pilot stage in order to move on to the second phase.

"Action under the pilot stage is plagued by a technicality arising from the evidence gathering process which was not done by enforcement officers," a source said.

"The first party at the AES control centres, who had collated the high resolution photos of the alleged traffic offences, were staff of private companies.

"The first party role to gather the evidence should have been (carried out) by police or Road Transport Department enforcement officers and not private company staff. This is the cause of a legal setback," said the source.

The frozen court cases have been identified as a major stumbling block to the execution of the second phase of AES which will be conducted by agencies under the Transport Ministry.

The government is prepared to take this extraordinary measure of quashing previous cases to start the electronic enforcement system afresh.

"The massive number of outstanding court cases under AES phase one is like monkeys on the government's back. We need to get it off now to avoid AES becoming a sunken ship," said a senior government official.

"The second AES rollout covering 350 locations by first quarter of 2016 will be like opening a new page. This time the government will make it right," the official said.

Asked if the move to quash the frozen cases is not unfair to other offenders who already paid the AES compounds, the official said:

"This is an acid test (for the government). Perhaps, the government could return the fines paid to prove that AES is not a money-making exercise but a real programme for saving lives on the road."

Of 1.91 million summonses issued from September 2012 to April 30 this year, only 264,750 AES compounds amounting to RM76,647,750 have been paid.

theSun had reported on May 5 that based on the studies done by the Malaysian Institute of Road Safety Research (Miros), AES cameras at traffic light junctions have been effective in reducing the 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.

When asked for confirmation, Attorney-General Tan Sri Mohamed Apandi Ali, who assumed the job three months ago, said he is not in a position to comment as yet.

"You should direct your question at RTD. Please give me time to check. I have so many pressing matters to attend to," he told theSun in a text message.

RTD director-general Datuk Seri Ismail Ahmad said the government has yet to make a final decision with regard to pending AES cases. - Sundaily