Still Not Paying Your Traffic Summonses? Ops Warta Warns "You Can't Run Forever"
Police are still encouraging traffic offenders to settle their summonses. However, they have to do so immediately before being charged in court.
By Anabelle Ong — 15 Jun 2015, 12:59 PM
Dodging summons and traffic offences? Watch out for the Automated Number Plate Recognition this August
In November 2014, it was announced that The Royal Malaysian Police (PDRM) was to employ an Automated Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) system to identify vehicles with foreign registration plates with unsettled summonses. Now, said system is set to be installed at nine locations at the Malaysian border and is expected to be operational by August.
paultan.org"At least, 20 units of ANPR worth RM30 million will used to track down traffic offenders in the first phase. We are in the process of buying the scanner," said Bukit Aman Traffic Police staff officer Supt Zulkefly Yahya.
"ANPR, using technology from the USA, will be widely used in states bordering neighbouring countries, including to track down foreign nationals with outstanding traffic summonses," he said.
Other than detecting summons cases, the new system would also enable the police to detect cars used by criminals, or stolen cars, noted Zulkefly.
bernama.com
20 May: Ops Warta is a traffic arrest program initiated on 19 May to arrest 1.59 million offenders that have not paid their summonses since 2014. It also hopes to encourage them to settle their fines before being charged in court.
Traffic police conducting a road block during Ops Warta in Alor Setar, Kedah.
Image via Amran Hamid/New Straits TimeOps Warta was launched to look for 1.59 million traffic offenders with warrants of arrest as they had failed to settle their outstanding summonses since Ops Selamat 5 was launched during Hari Raya Aidilfitri last year.
themalaysianinsider.com
“Although Ops Warta started today (19 May), we still encourage the offenders to come forward and settle their summonses,” said Bukit Aman traffic chief Senior Asst Comm Datuk Mohd Fuad Abdul Latiff.
thestar.com.myAccording to Mohd Fuad, traffic offenders still have time to settle the summons and they have to do so immediately before being charged in court.
therakyatpost.com
More than 50 officers are involved in the nationwide operation, which will continue until ALL summonses have been paid for before the year ends. The state with the most traffic offenders is Penang followed by Selangor and Malacca according to federal traffic police chief Datuk Mohd Fuad Abd Latiff.
A man was arrested by a police officer following the non-payment of summons during Ops Warta on traffic offenders at Jalan Tun Sambathan, Brickfields.
Image via ADIB RAWI YAHYA/The Sun Daily“Among the common offences are speeding offences, parking on the yellow line, beating the red light signals, car modification, double parking and many more,” says federal traffic chief Senior Asst Comm (SAC) Datuk Mohd Fuad Abdul Latiff. He added that more than 50 officers were involved in the operation.
He said during the operation, Penang had the most number of traffic offenders with 36 arrests, followed by 40 arrests in Selangor and in Malacca with 24 arrests.
malaysiandigest.com
Fuad said this will be an ongoing operation, to ensure that any outstanding warrants were settled before the year ends. He said, “It is an all-out operation where our team of traffic police officers conduct roadblocks and door-to-door visit. Those who fail to settle their summonses will be brought to court to be charged."
On the first day of Ops Warta, 251 people have been arrested while 239 have registered themselves at police stations on 19 May. However, only 3% of the 1.59 million summonses have been accounted for.
On a nationwide basis, 251 people have been arrested, while another 239 have presented themselves at the various police stations. Only 38,000 or a mere 3% of the 1.59 million summonses were settled according to a report by (SAC) Datuk Mohd Fuad Abdul Latiff.
Johor leads in terms of arrests, with 50, followed by Sarawak (39), Selangor (37), Penang (36), Malacca (24) and Sabah (3).
(SAC) Datuk Mohd Fuad Abdul Latiff has urged the public to start settling their traffic summonses if they do not wish to be brought to the court. He advised the public to check their outstanding warrants and make the payment at their respective police stations.
Since the operation, a sudden increase of traffic offenders have come to settle their summonses. Nonetheless, there are some who have taken extreme measures to prevent them from being arrested at work, such as taking leave and lying about their attendance.
An overwhelming number of traffic offenders have been turning up to pay their summons.
Image via Paul Tan“As of the operation, we also have individuals who have come forth to settle their summonses. The number of turned ups is overwhelming. We are glad that many have responded and showed up, after we made the announcement two weeks ago," says federal traffic chief Senior Asst Comm Datuk Mohd Fuad Abdul Latiff.
"During our operations today (May 19), the offenders knew we were coming. Most of them were on emergency or medical leave when we visited their workplaces,” said SAC Mohd Fuad.
malaysiandigest.com
According to Selangor traffic police chief Deputy Supt Azmi Mansor he said “We had one case in Shah Alam, where we visited the office of a man who had 60 summonses totalling RM18,000. We knew he was in the office, but his boss told us he was on MC.”
thestar.com.mySAC Mohd Fuad has issued a warning to those 'hiding' from the police, “Let me tell you one thing, you can hide from us but you can’t run forever. I advise them to come forward as we will continue to find them one by one.” He added "If the response and level of our achievement was not satisfactory, we will embark on the next phase to look for them at their homes," he said.
thestar.com.myIf you're thinking of escaping from the police, Senior Asst Comm Mohd Fuad says, "Let me tell you one thing, you can hide from us but you can’t run forever."
