Ops Cantas Khas Trafik: 251,273 Kena Waran Tangkap

The Ops Cantas Khas Trafik crackdown has already begun going ‘door to door’ to round up habitual traffic offenders in #IPOH. #MalaysianDrivers

The operation commenced in Ipoh and saw traffic policemen going “door to door” to bring in motorists with more than two warrants of arrests and more than 15 unsettled summonses.

The first operation was conducted between 3pm and 6pm on Thurs­day.

Nationwide operations, which will see the police stopping motorist­s at roadblocks, will commence next week.

“We are targeting the habitual offenders first,” Acting Federal Traffic chief Senior Asst Comm Mohd Fuad Abd Latiff told The Star yesterday.

He advised the public not to be alarmed as the habitual offenders would still be given a chance to settle the summonses despite being picked up.

“The objective of the operation is to get the offenders to pay up,” he stressed.

SAC Mohd Fuad said the police had prepared the warrants of arrest for 251,000 traffic offenders.

“We are going ahead with roadblocks mounted nationwide to arrest errant vehicle users from next week.

“After being arrested at a roadblock, the motorist will be brought to the police station and if he or she refuses to pay the summons, the person will be released on police bail with one surety,” he said, adding that the police would then apply for a new court date for the individual to either challenge the case or plead for a lower fine.

He said all preparations ahead of starting the roadblocks had been completed.

“We want to ensure that all state police contingents will be ready to carry out the operations successfully,” he said.

Asked about public complaints over difficulties in checking summonses on the official police online portal, SAC Mohd Fuad said there were many alternatives to do so, including through www.myeg.com.my,www.rilek.com.my, post offices and at Maybank ATMs.

“The public can check at selected shopping malls or go straight to any traffic police counter. They can even check at the Road Transport Depart­ment branches,” he said.

It was previously reported that the number of traffic offenders had been growing each year and along with that the number of motorists who were ignoring their summonses.

In 2008, traffic police went after 96,000 vehicle users with unsettled summonses under Ops Warta VII but as of now, the figure had shot up to more than 1.7 million.

Unable to go after all of them at once, police are targeting over 251,000 errant motorists, heavy vehicle drivers and motorcyclists in the first stage of Ops Cantas Khas Trafik.

Notices are being sent out to the offenders, warning them that warrants of arrest have been issued. At the same time, expired warrants are being renewed.