MELAKA: Advocacy involving schoolchildren and their parents is the key to addressing the issue of the young ones illegally driving cars and riding motorcycles, says the Road Transport Department (JPJ).
Its director-general Datuk Rospiagos Taha said JPJ’s focus will shift to educating schoolchildren and their parents on the importance of possessing driving licences.
“From JPJ’s research, we discovered that many of these students were driving and riding without licences, but our emphasis will be on organising targeted awareness campaigns and not issuing summonses for the initial period,” he said after the closing of a camp of the southern zone JPJ cadet corps at Kampung Lancang in Merlimau here on Wednesday night.
“I am optimistic about achieving the desired results through creating awareness (of the importance) of having driving licences with systematic, effective and well-organised advocacy,” he added.
Also present was Melaka works, infrastructure, public amenities and transport committee chairman Datuk Hameed Mytheen Kunju Basheer.
The camp was attended by 300 students from Melaka, Johor, Negri Sembilan, Kuala Lumpur and Selangor.
Rospiagos was asked about the recent report that quoted JPJ senior enforcement director Datuk Lokman Jamaan as saying that about 23,748 notices were issued to road users for not having a licence during the 14-day Ops Patuh Bersepadu 2023, which ended on Nov 24.
He added that most of the offenders were aged 15 to 35.
Rospiagos acknowledged that the majority of the 23,000 offenders were students.
Rospiagos added that the move to organise camp activities for schoolchildren is aimed at improving road safety.
