The government has announced that all existing traffic summonses issued under the Automated Enforcement System (AES) will be wiped out, letting all offending drivers off the hook, The Star reports.
Transport minister Anthony Loke said the decision to write off the AES tickets was made following the cabinet’s decision to take over AES operations completely from the two private companies running it now, beginning from September 1.
He said there were 3.1 million unpaid summonses as of May, totaling up to about RM430 million in fines, but added that motorists will not be able to evade any offences committed after September 1. “This is a one-off. After September 1, the road transport department (JPJ) will fully take over the operations of AES and any summons issued then has to be paid. There will not be any more such offers or discounts,” Loke said.
As of August last year, a total of 21 AES cameras were in operation across the country, and it was reported then that another 50 units were to be installed by the end of 2017. It was also said that an additional 100 AES cameras were set to be installed at strategic spots nationwide this year.
The system, which was first announced in 2012, planned to have two concessionares operating 800 fixed and 500 portable speedtrap cameras across 831 “black spot” areas on highways in addition to stretches of state and federal roads, but has been plagued by issues and technicalities, resulting in a number of summons backlogs.
