The Transport Ministry of Malaysia is currently conducting a study on the use of a new surveillance camera that has the ability to capture and identify vehicles using digital license plates. The main objective of this study is to improve road safety and reduce the risk of accidents in the country.
Datuk Hasbi Habibollah, the Deputy Transport Minister, mentioned that the new camera includes advanced features that can detect the driver, vehicle license, and even capture the speed of the vehicle. This will greatly assist enforcement efforts.
The Transport Ministry and the Road Transport Department (JPJ) are exploring the possibility of implementing the new surveillance camera system, named the Automatic Awareness Safety System (AWAS) camera, although in a modified version and in different locations from the current AWAS cameras.
However, the introduction of digital license plates, known as e-plates, is still under study. The current focus of the research is on identifying individuals who have violated road regulations and their respective driving licenses. In the future, the camera system will be enhanced to capture additional information, including vehicle speed.
During a question and answer session in the Dewan Rakyat on November 1, the Deputy Transport Minister stated that the new cameras will be installed and additional cameras will be added to further enhance road safety in the country.
This statement was made in response to an inquiry from Datuk Suhaimi Nasir, a Member of Parliament (MP) from the Libaran constituency, who sought to understand the government’s plans to minimize the number of road accidents in Malaysia.
When Khairil Nizam Khirudin, an MP from Jerantut, asked about the cost of the new camera system, Hasbi replied that the matter is still under research and development. The actual cost will only be announced if the use of the camera system is approved in the future.
In response to Suhaimi’s original question regarding the effectiveness of the current AWAS cameras, Hasbi noted that a study conducted by the Malaysian Institute of Road Safety Research (MIROS) reported that road user compliance at locations where the cameras were installed reached 99%.
– Bernama
