Govt mulls speed cameras for Penang Bridge

PETALING JAYA: Following the tragic death of a man whose car plunged into the Penang Bridge, the Transport Ministry and Projek Lebuhraya Utara Selatan Bhd (PLUS) are in talks about installing speed cameras along the bridge and adding more cameras on highways nationwide.

“PLUS has discussed this with us and said that it is willing to bear the cost to set up Automated Enforce­ment System (AES) cameras across its highways,” minister Anthony Loke said.

“It is a proposal from PLUS that we will study,” he said, adding that the finer details such as the number of cameras to be installed were still being discussed.

The location of the cameras would be determined by the Road Transport Department (JPJ) as well as the Malaysian Institute of Road Safety Research.

“There are reasons and technical considerations to be taken into account.

“Once we have studied this, especially at accident hotspot areas, then we will install them.

“The reason (to install the cameras) is not to collect summons or to ‘trap’ people but it is to warn road users to slow down at those places to reduce accidents,” he told reporters yesterday.

Loke said the AES cameras would be managed and operated by JPJ as pictures taken by the cameras were sent to the department.

PLUS had previously said it would submit a proposal to the authorities to install speed cameras on all six expressways under its jurisdiction, including the Penang Bridge.

Its managing director Datuk Azman Ismail said at present the Penang Bridge only had closed-circuit televisions installed.

Early last Sunday, a 20-year-old man was involved in a high speed accident on the Penang Bridge.

His sports utility vehicle (SUV) was hit by a Toyota Vios that was speeding on the fast lane.

The impact of the collision caused the SUV to flip over the guard rail and plunge into the sea.

His vehicle was eventually retrieved on Tuesday. The victim’s body was found strapped to the driver’s seat.