GEORGE TOWN – Vehicle owners and drivers have been warned that road offences committed around Penang Island City Council’s (MBPP) smart parking lots can be shared with the Road Transport Department (RTD) for enforcement action.
This was made possible when MBPP signed an agreement with the mart parking operator HeiTech Padu Bhd and the state RTD on data sharing.
Penang Local Government executive councillor Jagdeep Singh Deo said that the data sharing will hopefully translate to a reduction in traffic offences.
“I want this integration of data to be a reality. Now we want to ensure that our roads have high public safety and order.
“We are also warning road bullies and those who drive in a menacing way to be wary. Your actions are being watched.”
Jagdeep also revealed that the sensors installed on the ground are being replaced by CCTV cameras that can also act as sensors. The new devices, fitted with artificial intelligence, will also help motorists when parking in the smart parking lots.
This is all part of the council’s drive towards digitalisation, said Jagdeep who is also Datok Keramat assemblyman.
He added that the move to embrace technology has paid off, as MBPP has seen higher revenue generation since smart parking was introduced in 2020.
Jagdeep said that MBPP and its mainland counterpart, Seberang Prai City Council, have jointly collected up to RM55.5 million in revenue since then.
There are now over 36,000 MBPP parking lots installed with sensors, while another 1,2340 will be installed with CCTV devices to better monitor road safety and act as a transactional device for users of the smart-parking app.
Of the 1.1 million users who have downloaded the app, some 300,000 are active users, Jagdeep told a press conference here today.
Also present were state RTD Deputy Director Shahrul Azhari Mat Dali and HeiTech chief executive Abdul Halim Md Lassim. MBPP secretary Datuk A. Rajendran, who is scheduled to be sworn in as the island’s new mayor, was also present.
Halim said that with the sharing of data with the RTD, both sides can help each other identify potential car thefts and system abuses.
For example, now both MBPP and the RTD can share intelligence and data on road users who use fake number plates on their vehicles.
Also, serial fraudsters, such as those who refuse to pay their parking charges can be traced, especially with the new CCTVs installed. – The Vibes, April 1, 2023
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