65,000 outstanding traffic summonses not settled by Brunei drivers

(Above) Motorists settling their fines while ACP Lim (standing behind traffic cop) watches. (Left) Vehicles from Brunei being checked for outstanding summonses at the Sarawak-Brunei border checkpoint. — Stephen THEN/The Star

MIRI: Settle your fines – that is the message from Miri police to the 65,000 drivers of Brunei vehicles who owe millions of ringgit in unpaid traffic summonses.

Miri police are carrying out an operation to identify drivers of Brunei-registered vehicles.

Over the weekend, traffic cops set up roadblocks and conducted checks at various locations including the Sarawak-Brunei border checkpoint at the Sungai Tujuh boundary 35km north of Miri city.

Both foreign vehicles entering and leaving Miri were screened.

Many foreign drivers who were caught with outstanding summonses took the opportunity to pay their fines on-the-spot at the mobile counters set up.

Miri police chief Asst Comm Lim Meng Seah also went to the ground to check on the situation.

He later told reporters that some disgruntled motorists had posted on social media that Miri cops were abusing their authority by going against Brunei vehicle drivers”.

ACP Lim said there was no abuse of power but merely strict enforcement to recover the huge amount owed in traffic fines.

“There are at least 65,000 outstanding summonses owed by foreign vehicle owners from across the border.

“We need to be stricter in our enforcement against these foreign traffic offenders if they refuse to comply with our laws.

“There is no abuse of power as alleged by certain people on social media,” he stressed.

ACP Lim said the police will continue carrying out comprehensive checks to identify these individuals to reduce the amount of unpaid fines.

Miri is the main shopping haven for Bruneians.

There are an average of about 300,000 entries from Brunei into Miri every week, with the number rising sharply during weekends and public holidays.