JPJ Takes Over AES, RM300 Fines And Demerit System Takes Effect

Effective 1-September, JPJ has taken over the operations of 45 AES cameras – 29 speed cameras and 16 red light cameras, and AES will now be integrated with a demerit point system and renamed as AWAS for Automated Awareness Safety System, said a press statement by the Ministry of Transport.

Motorists caught exceeding the speed limit or jumping a red light will be fined RM300, which will have to be settled within 60 days.

At the same time, the Ministry of Transport also said that a demerit point system has also been put in place.

Demerit points would also be deducted. For red light offences, regular vehicles would be deducted four points while buses would be deducted six points.

For speeding offences exceeding between one kph to 25kph, this will involve two and four point deductions for regular vehicles and buses, respectively.

Speeding offences exceeding between 25kmh to 40kmh will see three and five point deductions for regular vehicles and buses, respectively. Speeding in excess of 40kph above the limit will result in deductions of four and six points for the same categories.

Drivers who accumulate their first 20 points will receive a warning from JPJ. If the driver accumulates another 20 points, his or her driving license will be suspended for 6 to 8 months. In short, for every 20 points the driver accumulates, his or her license will be suspended for an additional 2 months. Once the driver has been suspended 3 times within a period of 5 years, his or her driving license will be terminated.

Speaking to the press earlier today, Minister of Transport Anthony Loke lamented that traffic offences captured by AES cameras increased threefold during the period before Sept 1, when AES summonses were waived.

During the grace period from Aug 17 to Aug 31, the cameras recorded a total of 15,000 cases compared to the previous average of 5,000, Loke told the New Straits Times.

“We don’t have any intention to punish drivers but we want to ensure drivers are more responsible on the road, besides caring for the safety of other road users.

“There are drivers who broke traffic laws by running red lights and breaking the speed limit.

“We hope that the implementation of the system (AWAS) will reduce the number of traffic lawbreakers on the road,” Loke was quoted as saying by an online news portal.

Loke said the soaring number of traffic offences showed that some drivers wanted to break the law on purpose.