BY BAVANI M

The scan car making its rounds to detect vehicles that have not paid the parking fee. — Photos: AZLINA ABDULLAH/The Star

PARKING dodgers in the Federal capital owe Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) more than RM10mil in unpaid parking summonses for various offences committed from Oct 1, 2015 up to March 31 this year.

According to DBKL's data, the highest amount racked up by an individual was RM2,700 for 14 traffic infringements committed in less than a year.

The serial offender broke traffic laws mostly in Bukit Damansara and Solaris Hartamas.

In a list of top 10 hot spots for traffic violations, Solaris Mont Kiara comes up tops with the most number of tickets issued as well as unpaid tickets.

Sri Hartamas, Bukit Damansara, Bangsar and Brickfields are also high on the list.

The figures, however, do not include the whopping RM70mil in unpaid summonses racked up from 2008 to October 2015.

An officer mounting the LPR on a scan car. The software is able to scan the licence plates of vehicles

Kuala Lumpur mayor Datuk Seri Mohd Amin Nordin Abd Aziz, who revealed the numbers, said he was weary of “pampered” city folk who did not want to be accountable for their actions.

“All this while, we have been running at a loss because we have been too kind. This ends now.

“When it comes to parking, we are going after these serial non-payers who owe DBKL for unpaid parking summonses,” he said.

The mayor added that traffic offenders who did not pay their summonses would not be able to renew their road tax in future as DBKL was currently working with the Road Transport Department (JPJ) to synchronise data using technology from Sweden called CALE. The enforcement system dubbed Gtechna is being used by its new parking operators appointed by Yayasan Wilayah Persekutuan (YWP).

Last year, DBKL appointed YWP, the welfare arm of the Federal Territories Ministry, to manage the city’s parking system.

Those who have accumulated compound notices and have yet to make payment will be blaklisted.

According to DBKL data, from Oct 1, 2015, to March 31, 2016, out of 191,207 compound notices issued, only 26,573, or about 7%, had paid up.

Statistics from January to July showed that 746,185 notices were issued for obstruction of traffic and 4,857 vehicles were towed. However, less than 2% of the fines had been paid by offenders.

The offences include double parking, parking on yellow lines, parking in bays designated for the disabled, parking in loading zones, and abusing reserved lots and parking in no-stopping areas.

“Parking has always been privatised in the city, but for decades, DBKL has been losing money.

"We literally had to chase the previous parking operators for our dues and still end up spending more.

“City folk took advantage of the loopholes in the system and did not pay up, but we are putting a stop to that now.

"With the new system operated by YWP, we can nab culprits who break the law and do not pay up. We are going after all of them,” Amin Nordin said.

The command centre is where parking offences are picked up by DBKL .

YWP introduced a new and advanced parking system called the City Car Park System (CCP) in partnership with a company called Vista Summerose Sdn Bhd.

Under the agreement, YWP would pay DBKL 35% or RM600,000 of the gross revenue from parking every month.

“Since the new operators took over last October, I am happy to say that we have seen revenue instantly every month between RM600,000 to RM1mil depending on the amount collected.

“Now before people start saying that we are only about making money, let me clarify that it is also about getting motorists to be accountable for their actions.

“You break the law, you face the consequences! Please change your behaviour first,” Amin Nordin said.

The recent clamping blitz all over the city since Sept 1 is an indication that the mayor means business.

Zooming in on Little India Brickfields, 90% of the motorists who have parked there did not pay for parking fees as indicated by the red icon with dollar signs.

Using Scan Cars equipped with the Gtechna system, DBKL enforcement officers have been capturing car registration plates instantly when within range and are immediately able to segregate data of traffic offenders who had paid their summonses and the ones who have not.

Serial offenders who were found to have parked their cars illegally and with a record of owing thousands of ringgit in unpaid tickets, will find their cars clamped and towed away.

The mayor said the owner would then have to pay compound of RM50, and another RM50 as clamping charges to release the wheel clamp.

"After that, they will be asked to sign a guarantee promising to settle the remaining unpaid summonses.

“If they refuse, we will see them in court. I am no longer going to be Mr Nice Guy, so my advice is to be a good citizen and pay up,” he reiterated.