SIBU: The Sibu Municipal Council (SMC) has been equipped with four new patrol motorcycles dedicated to enhancing the efficiency of its traffic wardens during patrolling duties.
According to SMC chairman Clarence Ting Ing Horh, the launch of the new motorcycles enabled the council to cover more areas for traffic enforcement duties.
“With these motorcycles, our enforcement team can now cover more places. Currently, we have 44 enforcement officers but they are going out in two vans and because of this, they could not cover many areas.
“Now, they (enforcement officers trained to be traffic wardens) will be going around the town on the four new motorcycles purchased by the council,” he said when met by reporters at the traffic warden’s motorcycles launch at Wisma Sanyan lobby here today (Nov 10).
Ting said that out of the 44 enforcement officers, 10 of them have been well-trained at the Malaysian Police Training Centre (PULAPOL) in Kuching to be traffic wardens and have started their duty.
He added that the four motorcycles would later be equipped with a siren.
“We are not chasing cars but doing enforcement work. The traffic wardens (including other enforcement officers) have the power to issue compounds to motorists who flout the law,” he added.
He also stressed that the council would seek more vans so that the enforcement officers could be spread out.
Meanwhile, SMC enforcement team chief Frankie Jampi said the council would be sending more people for training in PULAPOR to become traffic wardens.
“We will be writing to the Public Health, Housing, and Local Government Ministry. With more wardens, we will be able to deploy them at identified hotspot areas,” he said.
He said the enforcement team had issued a total of 2,733 compound notices so far this year for illegal parking under Article 3 (4) of the Road Transport (Provision of Parking Places) (Sibu Municipal Council) Order 2004.
The offence carries a penalty of RM150 each.
