Tapah: Police have issued a total of 104,235 summonses for various traffic offences under Op Selamat 23 as of yesterday, said Bukit Aman Traffic Investigation and Enforcement Department (JSPT) director Datuk Seri Mohd Yusri Hassan Basri. He noted that 49,339 of these summonses mainly involved six offences, namely speeding (44,940 summonses); beating the traffic lights (2,034); using mobile devices while driving (869); driving on the emergency lane (602); queue-cutting (573); and overtaking on double lines (321).
According to BERNAMA News Agency, as of yesterday, statistics also showed a reduction in the number of traffic summonses issued by the police for the same period compared to last year. Mohd Yusri stated, “So, we will conduct a study to see if (the reduced number of) summonses issued is because of road users complying with traffic rules or the road safety and advocacy campaign that we carried out previously.” He promised to provide detailed statistics after Op Selamat 23 concludes.
Mohd Yusri highlighted that the department deployed 3,609 personnel for Op Selamat 23, which began on Jan 28, to ensure smooth operations and achievement of its objectives. The operation aimed to minimise road accident cases, ensure smooth traffic flow, and prevent house-breaking cases during the festive season in collaboration with the Crime Prevention and Community Safety Department (JPJKK).
He explained that the JSPT’s approach is centered on total enforcement and service delivery, aiming to prevent an increase in accident cases and fatalities while managing smooth traffic flow. Throughout Op Selamat 23, police identified a total of 408 traffic congestion hotspots and 76 accident-prone blackspots across Federal, state, and city roads, including 27 hotspots and 17 blackspots on highways nationwide.
To address these issues, Mohd Yusri mentioned the formation of the Emergency Response Team (ERT) with 14 teams stationed along highways for continuous monitoring and swift removal of obstacles. “According to information we received from PLUS, for today, an estimated 1.82 million vehicles are expected to pass through this highway. So, we (the teams from ERT, JSPT, and other agencies) appeal to all road users to be patient and obey traffic rules,” he said.
In today’s advocacy programme, Mohd Yusri reported that road users at the Tapah R and R acknowledged the increased traffic on the highway. He stated, “We have carried out advocacy campaigns via the media, social media, and so on. They (road users) have taken steps or planned their journeys much earlier and are prepared to face unexpected situations (traffic congestion).”