KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 5 — Motorists who fail to pay their outstanding traffic compounds issued by City Hall will be dragged to court.

The drastic measure comes as City Hall is tired of repeat offenders treating such compounds lightly.

From October 2015 to December last year, 683,980 compounds were issued to 608,520 motorists. A staggering 93 per cent of them have yet to be settled, amounting to RM34,042,280.

City Hall issues an average of 100 compounds daily. 

It has invested RM100,000 on 30 number plate registration system scanners mounted on patrol units. Enforcement personnel would run through the number plates of vehicles in the city and those with over 10 compounds would be clamped.

City Hall enforcement director Salim Mansor said the operation started in September.

"We want to create awareness and get repeat offenders to pay up. They can no longer take things for granted,” he said.

How it works

● Eighty-two enforcement personnel have been tasked to roam the city, mainly Solaris Mont Kiara, Sri Hartamas, Jalan Ampang and Wangsa Maju, to scan the number plates of vehicles, especially those that violated traffic rules.

● They will start from 8am and end at 7pm.

● Once a vehicle with more than 10 outstanding compounds has been identified, the personnel will clamp it.

● A printout listing the outstanding compounds will be placed on the  windscreen.

● The driver of the vehicle will need to pay RM100 on the spot to remove the clamp.

● The owner will be given three months to settle the outstanding compounds, failing which a warrant of arrest will be issued and the owner dragged to City Hall’s court.

"There are three main teams — one that issues compounds, one that clamps vehicles, and the one that obtains payment to remove the clamps,” Salim said.

He said motorists who spotted enforcement personnel would tend to quickly move or remain in their vehicles at places where they were not allowed to park or wait.

"Since we started sending out our personnel in groups, motorists have no chance to do so and would have to pay the price for breaking the law,” he said.

Salim said 6,431 vehicles were clamped from Jan 1 to 20. He also revealed a particular motorist had 125 outstanding compounds since 1992 amounting RM12,500.

City Hall is offering discounts until Feb 28 for those who have yet to pay their compounds.

Compounds issued from 2007 to 2011 may be settled at RM10 each, compounds issued from 2012 to 2014 at RM20 each, and those issued from 2015 until the end of tnis month at RM30 each.

"Motorists must learn to abide by traffic rules. They should also display their parking coupons when parking their vehicles,” Salim said.

Yayasan Wilayah Persekutuan, an agency under the Federal Territories Ministry tasked to run and maintain parking machines in the city, said motorists could opt to buy monthly passes for public parking bays or pay their parking fees through the mobile application "Jom Parking”.