The road transport department (JPJ) is one of the government’s top revenue generators because of its collections. According to its director-general, Datuk Zailani Hashim, the department’s revenue collection last year ranked third among government entities in terms of revenues generated.
They made RM4.92 billion in revenue last year. But this year, they are apparently sure that they will be able to collect more than RM5 billion, taking into account the digitalization efforts and programmes that JPJ has established for the community.
As in 2020 when the first Movement Control Order (MCO) restricted movements to the extent that even government offices had to shut down, the Ministry of Transport Malaysia has announced that renewal of driving licences need not be done if they expire between February 1 until March 31, 2021.
This is in view of the travel restrictions which presently limit people to a range of 10 kms from their homes, and also to reduce crowds at the JPJ offices. Unless another announcement is made, renewal will have to be done within 30 days from March 31, 2021.
This exemption is, however, not for those with commercial vehicle and vocational licences (GDL and PSV). They can still renew their licences as they are classified under Essential Services.
While renewal of the driving licence can be deferred, the vehicle must still have valid insurance. A copy of the insurance e-cover note must be available for inspection if requested by an authority. Valid coverage is important in the event of an accident.
Many insurance companies will be able to provide renewal services online, and companies like MyEG also handle renewals of driving licences and roadtax online. They can deliver the documents to an address provided for a small fee.
MYEG, the online service which provides e-government services, is adding new services provided for the JPJ (Road Transport Department) with the introduction of online renewal of Motorcycle Road Tax and Competent Driving License (CDL).
Scheduled to be available from October 9 (October 16 for CDL renewal), these new services will complement other existing JPJ-related services that Malaysian vehicle users have utilised for their transactions.
Insurance renewal also available
Besides easier renewing of motorcycle roadtax and CDL online, registered users will also be able to access an array of related value-added offerings on MYEG’s portal. These include motorcycle insurance renewal and delivery services for the roadtax and CDL right to the doorstep of the user.
As the concessionaire for the Malaysian e-Government services, MYEG has been JPJ’s Service Provider for multiple online services since 2007. It offers services ranging from renewal of Motorcar Road Tax, Summons Checking and Payment, Computerised Drivers’ Theory Testing and Transfer of Vehicle Ownership.
MYEG’s online services have been especially valuable nowadays with the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. By using online services, the public do not have to visit the JPJ or other government agencies for many transactions, thereby avoiding social closeness that can allow the coronavirus to spread.
Have you renewed you roadtax/driving licence?
Incidentally, if your vehicle’s roadtax or your driving licence have expired since the beginning of the Movement Control Order (MCO) in March, you should be aware that the allowance for non-renewal ended on September 30. The government had allowed it in view of the restrictions and to reduce crowding at JPJ offices.
Now that all vehicles and motorists must have valid and renewed roadtax and licences, the police and JPJ enforcement teams are conducting checks at roadblocks. So if you need to do the renewal, you can do so right away by going to the MYEG website to do so.
PLUS Malaysia Bhd has established an RTD Enforcement Highway Monitoring Centre (Highway Enforcement Unit) as one of the ways to improve safety on its highways. The facility, opened on July 1 this year in collaboration with the Road Transport Department (RTD), is located at the old Jelapang Toll Plaza Supervision Building near Ipoh, Perak.
The control centre, located at KM268, on the North-South Expressway will provide faster access onto the highway to manage traffic incidences and improve safety. It also regulates all Highway Enforcement Unit activities at four major enforcement zones.
Since 2018, PLUS has provided four offices for the Highway Enforcement Unit at R&R Pagoh in Johor, R&R Dengkil in Selangor, and R&R Gunung Semanggol, besides the latest Enforcement Highway Monitoring Centre, in Ipoh.
“PLUS continuously explores new approaches and ideas to improve safety on our highways to help our customers enjoy safer and more convenient travel. Apart from focusing on engineering and education aspects through road safety advocacy programmes, we also look at law enforcement aspects by collaborating with enforcement agencies such as the RTD to improve safety on the highways,” said PLUS Chief Operating Officer, Zakaria Ahmad Zabidi.
“At the same time, the presence of JPJ enforcement officers on our highway mainline is crucial in addressing issues relating to heavy vehicles such as the use of low-quality rethreaded tyres, overloaded and improperly secured consignment and so on. Based on our data, most of the obstacles found on the highway which consist of tyre fragments, wood, iron scraps or debris and many more originated from heavy vehicles, pose a threat to our customers,” he added.
During the official opening ceremony, PLUS and RTD also signed a Memorandum of Understanding to establish a strategic collaboration involving operations and enforcement to improve safety on the PLUS highway.
According to Dato’ Sri Shaharuddin, RTD’s Director-General, the initiative that has been carried out between PLUS and the RTD is a strategic and smart partnership which is the key to improving the safety and well-being of the people.
“PLUS proves its role as a good ‘Rakan Negara’ in helping RTD to enhance the level of safety and enforcement on the highway. PLUS’ contribution and various initiatives to ensure the safety of its customers have been globally recognized by winning the Prince Michael International Road Safety Award in December 2019 and was recently ranked as the number one top performing closed toll highway in terms of safety and comfort by the Malaysian Institute of Road Safety Research (MIROS),” added Dato’ Sri Shaharuddin.
According to the Transport Minister, there are over 4.2 million registered vehicles which have not had their roadtax renewed. Many of these would have the roadtax expired for more than a year, which means that if they wish to use the vehicle on public roads again, it will have to be sent to Puspakom for a roadworthiness inspection first.
Now, that requirement has been abolished for vehicles registered for private use by individuals. No Puspakom inspection will be required for vehicles which have not had their roadtax renewed for up to three years.
A car undergoing inspection at PUSPAKOM
Announcing this, the Transport Minister said that the change is in response to requests from vehicle owners. Particularly at this time when the COVID-19 pandemic has affected many financially, removing the vehicle inspection requirement can help to save some money. Perhaps some of those affected have old cars in the house and now want to use them again as they do not want to avoid public transport.
However, the exemption from inspections does not apply to commercial vehicles which, in any case, are subject to periodic mandatory inspections to ensure they are in a safe condition for use.
Discount period extended to end September
Meanwhile, the discount of up to 70% offered for summonses has been extended. It was originally up to the end of August but will not still be available until September 30,2020. The discount given applies to all compoundable summonses issued by the JPJ and the Land Public Transport Commission (SPAD) but not those issued by the police.
Again, the move is aimed at helping those who are in a difficult situation at this time and need to have a licence to work in jobs like e-hailing or food delivery. In some cases, not settling a summons would mean they are blacklisted and cannot renew their licence. Nevertheless, they still have to pay for the offence if they committed it.
In case you missed the news, if you have any outstanding summonses from the Road Transport Department (JPJ) or Land Public Transport Department (now known as APAD instead of SPAD), you can save some money if you settle before the end of this month.
In conjunction with the upcoming Merdeka Day celebrations, the agencies are offering a 70% discount for all summonses during August 2020. This discount is for all compoundable summonses issued by the JPJ and APAD under the Road Transport Act 1987 (Act 333), Commercial Vehicles Licensing Board Act 1987 (Act 334) and Land Public Transport Act 2010(Act 715). Summonses issued by the police are not included in this discount offer.
The discount is offered for speeding offences recorded by AES cameras.
The offences covered include drunk driving, exceeding speed limits as recorded by the AES cameras,and also vehicles which are found to be in a condition that is not roadworthy. Depending on the nature of the offence, the compound fine can be up a maximum of RM300.
If you are blacklisted, this is an opportunity for you to sort the matter out. However, you will need to personally visit a JPJ branch to resolve the matter and then make payment (the discount will still be allowed). For other road-users, payments can be made at JPJ offices or online portals.
Note that a summons does not mean you are guilty of the offence. If you read the wording, you will find that it informs you that you have been sighted committing an offence (which will be specified). If you believe you are not guilty, you have a right to challenge the charge in court. However, if you agree that you are guilty, then you just pay the compound fine, saving time for all parties.
Incidentally, in Ipoh, Perak, the city council is also offering motorists a discount on offences related to parking. The discounts range from 30% and 50%.
Although the Movement Control Order (MCO) has provisions to allow the Road Transport Department (JPJ) to continue operating, the department has today announced that it will not be open for operations from March 20. The closure covers all JPJ offices nationwide and the date when operations will resume has not been announced at this time. The MCO, which came into effect yesterday, will last until March 31, 2020.
It is understood that the decision to close was prompted by the large number of people being at the JPJ counters to obtain the various services available. The gathering of people, especially large numbers, is what the MCO aims to prevent as a measure to slow down or stop the spread of the COVID-19 coronavirus. Close proximity among people can lead to transmission of the disease, it has been found, apart from picking up the virus from surfaces such as tabletops, door handles, etc.
PUSPAKOM’s mobile inspection services will not be available until further notice.
PUSPAKOM, the vehicle inspection company, which is also allowed to operate during the period of the MCO, has also announced today that it will close all its branches and offices nationwide. Mobile services will also be suspended until further notice.
PUSPAKOM says that vehicle owners who have made appointments for inspections will receive refunds. For information or assistance, call 1-800-88-6927 or visit www.puspakom.com.my. Announcements will also be made on their pages at Facebook and Instagram.
