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KUCHING: The government has decided to go ahead with the automated enforcement system (AES), one of the key road safety initiatives of the Road Safety Department, early next year.

Amendments to the Road Transport Act, which will allow for the AES to be enforced, are in the final stages in Parliament, said department director-general Datuk Suret Singh.

The bill for the amendments will be tabled for second reading on Dec 14.

"We expect it (to pass) and after the law is in place, we are ready to implement it from early next year," he said after presenting a paper, "Road Safety Analysis in Malaysia", at the department's annual conference here.

Suret said in the first phase of the automated high-speed camera enforcement system, law enforcement agencies will target speedsters and traffic light jumpers.

He said the system, which should have been implemented in 2007, was online and nabbing traffic law violators would be in real time.

Suret said enforcement, such as with the AES, gave the best results in the short term.

He was, however, more concerned about the long-term goal of building a positive road safety culture among the millions of road users.

"That would give us the long-term zero-fatality mission."

Suret also bemoaned the Malay-sian mindset of resistance towards adopting a culture of safety.

"The culture of safety is lacking significantly in our community. We resist buckling up in the car and wearing safety helmets.

"We resist all new safety measures being introduced, claiming they would be expensive.

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KUCHING: No discounts will be given for traffic offences when the Automated Enforcement System (AES) is implemented next year, said Transport Ministry secretary-general Datuk Long See Wool.

He said to make roads safer, authorities needed to come down hard on offenders by tightening the enforcement of traffic rules.

“We are in the midst of amending our laws to make it stricter. Don’t hope for any discounts. If it (fine) is RM300, then you pay RM300.

“You will also be linked to the demerit system and others,” he told reporters after launching the Malaysian Road Safety Council’s 51st annual general meeting here yesterday.

Long said because there would be signage informing motorists that they were in an AES zone, they should not accuse the Government of trying to solicit money.

“We are not here to collect your money.

“We just want our roads to be safe. So if you commit an offence, then be prepared to face the consequences,” he said.

AES is expected to be implemented in January following an amendment to the Road Transport Act.

It will provide video surveillance on roads to nab traffic offenders and will see cameras installed at traffic lights and blind spots to detect motorists flouting rules.

The system will lead to better enforcement and help reduce Malaysia’s fatality index, which stood at 3.55 deaths per 10,000 vehicles as at December last year.

Long said the road safety agenda had become part of the National Key Result Areas under the Transport Ministry and it would be stepping up efforts in this direction.

This included engaging helicopters from the Fire and Rescue Department and also the Health Ministry to shorten emergency response time.

“During a bus accident last year, there was massive congestion on the highway and people started using the emergency lanes. This hampered rescue efforts. There is now a proposal to use helicopters to aid in the rescue, especially in accidents with mass casualties,” he added.

On Monday, Kuala Lumpur Hospital emergency and trauma department head Prof Datuk Dr Abu Hassan Asaari Abdullah said this emergency response enhancement exercise would be carried out in phases throughout the 11th Malaysia Plan.

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