Friday 24 September 2010
The three-page report “More bite needed” (StarMetro, Sept 20) will not produce the desired results if the authorities continue to dish out more of the same. Take for example the report “Undercover team ‘catches’ 3,560 offenders on camera’ in The Star on the same day.
I have been an avid follower on news of road safety for the past seven years. During this period, the various authorities repeatedly announced plans for more cameras to catch offenders.
Instead, the focus should be on deterrence rather than waiting for offences to be committed. If the Key Performance Index (KPI) is measured by the number of summonses issued, then our authorities have achieved resounding success.
The average of one million summonses issued monthly is bound to increase with more cameras.
However, the most effective measure to reduce traffic offenses is for the authorities to privatize the surveillance part of enforcement.
The authorities do not have to wait for the budget or spend a single sen to install more cameras, which are often not noticed or ignored for various reasons.
Unlike the authorities who are fond of going undercover or hide behind pillars, the camera crews of these companies will don bright uniforms and always in full view of the public so as to deter offences being committed.
Perhaps more importantly, it will dispel the notion that anyone can get away easily after committing a crime when it is common to drive or ride pass a red light.
The countless number of offences on our roads daily is producing ‘seeds of lawlessness’. It is a huge ‘broken window’ that cannot be fixed unless the authorities see the need for transformation.
YS Chan
Kuala Lumpur
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