‘Big Brother’ is watching
Saturday September 26, 2009 By TEH ENG HOCK and JOSHUA FOONG
Source: http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2009/9/26/nation/4790776&sec=nation

http://thestar.com.my/archives/2009/9/26/nation/automated_260809.jpg

PUTRAJAYA: Malaysian motorists generally follow traffic rules only when they see policemen around but with the proposed Automated Enforcement System (AES), the enforcement officers will be watching, even if they are not on the scene.

Hundreds of cameras will become the “eyes” of these policemen.

The system will transmit to a control centre photographs and videos of motorists committing traffic offences. The centre will then issue the summonses.

The unmanned cameras will be located at 831 spots around the country.

Road Transport Department director-general Datuk Solah Mat Hassan said the proposed system would help the Government lower the number of deaths per 10,000 registered vehicles to two from 3.7 in 2007.

There are currently 17.971 million vehicles on the road.

Once the Cabinet gives its green light on the AES, the system could be set up in a month, although full implementation could take about two years, said a source.

“Realistically, after taking into account some government bureaucracy, it should take about four months for AES to issue its first summons,” the source said, adding that the AES was estimated to cost more than RM300mil.

JPJ and other agencies had conducted a demonstration of the system in 2007 at the Guthrie Corridor and Putrajaya.

Solah told a media briefing that the AES was a “foolproof system” which used very high resolution cameras which were linked to sensors on the road.

Besides speeding, the system can detect offenders who beat the traffic lights, overtake on the left or across double lines, tailgate, drive on the emergency lane and even overload.

Presently, the police use 140 laser digital cameras, which are portable and manually operated.

“They cannot be used when it rains and they are not automatic. If three vehicles are speeding at the same time, the device can only snap one as the policeman has to aim the camera at the car.

“The AES can shoot (images) of all three, it can also take photos of motorcycles. The system can also differentiate between a commercial vehicle and a private vehicle,” he said.

“We will put up signs. The AES is not to collect revenue (from summonses), but to make road users behave,” Solah said.

Electronic Enforcement Can Put Fear In Drivers - Transportation Lecturer
September 26, 2009 19:26 PM

KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 26 (Bernama) -- A round-the-clock electronic enforcement and surveillance at strategic locations can change the attitude of drivers and make them more careful when on the road.

Prof Dr Khairi Mohd Dimyati of Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM) said strict electronic surveillance would make drivers more careful and afraid to commit offences as their moves were being watched by authorities.

"The main aim of the electronic system is not to catch offenders but to inform drivers of the presence of enforcement or create a concept called "the perception of being caught(POBC)."

"POBC means that drivers feel they are being watched and as such will be careful and will not flout traffic laws," the transportation lecturer told Bernama here on Saturday.

Electronic surveillance had proven to be effective and implemented in 90 countries worldwide, particularly developed countries.

"This system can reduce road accidents by 80 to 90 percent as drivers will be more disciplined," said Khairi whose views have often been sought by the Ministry of Transport.

He said implementation of the system would realise the government target of two deaths for every 10,000 registered vehicles by 2010.

Bukit Aman traffic chief Datuk Abdul Aziz Yusof admitted the system could reduce accidents but said the attitude and mentality of drivers who loved to break the law had to be changed.

"The electronic system is a replacement for humans. Drivers will follow the law at places where there is surveillance but what about other areas.

"Our regulations and laws to avoid accidents are adequate. Increasing the speeding fine of RM300 will only make drivers avoid payment," he said.

Former director-general of Malaysian Institute of Road Safety Research (Miros) Prof Datuk Dr Radin Umar Radin Sohadi said implementation of the system was to ensure the safety of motorists and not soley aimed at collecting fines.

"Motorists in United Kingdom feel that the existence of too many surveillance cameras have violated their privacy."

Radin Umar said implementation should be based on the 4W and 1H concept or what, where, when, who and how to enforce and that focus should be on public areas like schools and markets.

National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (Niosh) chairman Tan Sri Lee Lam Thye urged the government to plan a more innovative road safety campaigns and make road safety a culture.

He said Ops Sikap should be reviewed to ascertain whether the campaign had succeeded in changing the attitude of road users.

-- BERNAMA

Road Transport Act to be amended to facilitate automated enforcement
Written by Sharon Tan
Wednesday, 24 February 2010 22:47
http://www.theedgemalaysia.com/political-news/160337-road-transport-act-to-be-amended-to-facilitate-automated-enforcement.html

PUTRAJAYA: The government will introduce the automated enforcement system (AES) to help ensure road safety and reduce incidence of corruption among enforcement officers.

Transport Minister Datuk Seri Ong Tee Keat said the Road Transport Act 1987 would be amended at the upcoming parliamentary session to enable implementation of the system.

"It will involve collaboration between the Road Transport Department (RTD) and the police, and the AES is expected to be implemented formally as soon as the Act is amended," said Ong after a Cabinet meeting today.

He said the Act had to be amended to allow the use of automated equipment and machines in law enforcement especially in issuing summonses to traffic offenders. The current Act has no such provision.

Ong the system would enhance road safety, reduce the occurrence of traffic offences and road accidents as it had been proven that motorists would consciously slow down upon realising they were approaching a traffic camera.

Under the AES, cameras would monitor each vehicle's movements, record its speed and relay the information to the RTD and police for enforcement.

Traffic offenders would have their summonses issued directly to them as the cameras would photograph a speeding vehicle and log its vehicle registration number into the RTD and police database.

"The AES will also help us to reduce corruption among enforcement officers," said Ong, adding that the AES was part of the national key result area (NKRA) in crime prevention, particularly involving road rage.

"We managed to fine-tune the inadequacy of the system last year although the idea was mooted four years ago.

"When we bring in something new, we need to acknowledge and identify the areas of concern and its modus operandi," said Ong when asked why the ministry took its time in introducing the system.

AES system to be implemented after Road Transport Act is amended
25th February, 2010
http://www.newsabahtimes.com.my/nstweb/fullstory/36353

PUTRAJAYA: The Automated Enforcement System (AES) designed to nab traffic offenders will be implemented after the Road Transport Act is amended by Parliament next month.

Transport Minister Datuk Seri Ong Tee Keat said implementation of the AES would not only help to reduce road accidents, but also corrupt practices among enforcement officers.

“The idea (AES system) was mooted four years ago but it was only last year that we managed to fine tune some of the past inadequacies,” he told reporters before chairing the ministry’s post-cabinet meeting here yesterday.

The AES system, which is widely used in developed countries like Australia, the United Kingdom and the United States, is essentially a system where cameras are installed at accident-prone areas to detect speeding vehicles and cameras are placed at traffic light junctions to nab those beating the red light.

An estimated 3,000 cameras are expected to be installed nationwide. The locations have been identified by the Road Safety Department and the Malaysian Institute of Road Safety Research.

Meanwhile, Ong said 201 fatalities were reported during a month-long integrated road safety campaign held in conjunction with Chinese New Year since Jan 21.

He said the figures showed a drop of 11 deaths or 5.2 per cent from 212 deaths in a similar campaign conducted last year.

“The average daily death during the period is 13 compared with 18 on normal days, a drop of five deaths daily or 27.8 per cent,” he added.

He said a total of 14,185 cases of road accidents were reported during the campaign period this year, a drop of three per cent or 433 cases from 14,618 cases in the campaign last year.

Ong said the focus of enforcement during the campaign period was on nine serious traffic offences, adding that it had succeeded in reducing fatal accidents .

The offences are exceeding the speed limit, overtaking on double-lines, queue-cutting, beating the traffic light, using the emergency lane, dangerous driving, overloading, not wearing the safety belts and not wearing crash helmets, he added.

Transport Ministry Studying The Implementation Of Automated System For Enforcement
September 19, 2010 21:27 PM
http://www.bernama.com.my/bernama/v5/newsindex.php?id=528771

KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 19 (Bernama) -- The Transport Ministry is studying the implementation of an automated system for enforcement which includes the use of cameras in the effort to improve and enhance enforcement in accident-prone areas.

Its minister, Datuk Seri Kong Cho Ha said the implementation of an automated system was one of the most effective methods in increasing the efficiency of enforcement and probability of traffic offenders being caught.

"This will also ensure road users drive more carefully, responsibly, as well as abide the traffic laws," he said in a statement issued here Sunday.

Kong said this was in line with the long-term plan for "zero fatality vision", the road safety plan for Malaysia which covers all aspects of safety including driver, vehicle, road infrastructure and environment safety with the aim that no one should be killed or seriously injured within the road environment due to accidents.

Expressing his appreciation for the joint effort given by all related agencies in Ops Bersepadu 22 which recorded a drop of three percent in road accidents compared to last year, he said: "The number of fatalities are still high, we shouldn't be satisfied with the minor drop. More effort should be put in, and we should improve more."

Kong said the enforcement approach was a must to ensure order in a system including traffic order, and "it is never the government's intention to penalise the rakyat, but to ensure safety of all road users and focus on high-risk areas, which are normally referred to as road accident black spots.

"Speeding on public road has been proven scientifically as a dominating factor that significantly increases the risk of fatalities and injuries not only to the driver and passengers of the speeding road vehicle but also to other innocent road users in a traffic collision," he said.

Ops Bersepadu which began on Sept 3 and ended on Sept 17, recorded a total of 16,817 accidents compared with a total of 17,332 accidents posted last year, a drop of 515 accidents and a total of 218 fatal accidents compared to 241 cases last year, which was a drop of 23 cases.

The total of fatal cases stood at 248 compared with 265 cases posted last year, a drop of 17 cases.

-- BERNAMA

it is a good thing to teach malaysian how to drive like a first world citizen.
#sigh#

uh dude Ashraf...I think over here in Miami, drivers are as bad as divers back home...come to think of it, kinda like everywhere! any big cities u gotta deal with not just bad driving but drivers with a lot of personal baggage, depression, financial issues, pay cuts, job loss, rush hour, weather etc...once they're out the door, more often than not traffic can bring out the worse in people...road rage.

uh dude Ashraf...I think over here in Miami, drivers are as bad as divers back home...come to think of it, kinda like everywhere! any big cities u gotta deal with not just bad driving but drivers with a lot of personal baggage, depression, financial issues, pay cuts, job loss, rush hour, weather etc...once they're out the door, more often than not traffic can bring out the worse in people...road rage.

agree. come to think of it, malaysia is no as bad of what it's citizen always complain. but there's plenty room for improvement.

i guess, malaysian is ungrateful. (like me..)

yeah..
i agree with you guys, we always complaint because we do not know the exact condition of our country compared to others.
anyway,i had a terrible experience on road yesterday.
i understand everybody wants to move faster to their destination but don't they have any tolerance?

gosh.fortunately nothing bad happen.

Ok how much for this one?????They cant even get the demerit points system to work or the saman ekor now this????Remember the ITIS system in KL?Ur lucky if u drive by one of the many electronic boards that works!!I dont need them to spend what like gezillion ringgit to let me know all the berita basi about traffic.

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Did u read the thread that say ambulance chasers are welcome here?

http://thestar.com.my/archives/2009/9/26/nation/automated_260809.jpg

great news...the police might use their facebook to send the picture to the offenders wall.. post the pic n tag...save cost..hehe..:):nuts:

i thought thy already got camera at trafic light junction, even on straight speed riden streach since long ago

wonder what happen to it:lol:

i thought thy already got camera at trafic light junction, even on straight speed riden streach since long ago

wonder what happen to it:lol:

Yea.. actually few places ady got camera, but ppl can void the summon that the evidences is pictured/caught by camera... I think due to the law in Malaysia I guess... :)

Please correct me if im wrong :)