New Straits Times

FERRARI’S ROAD TAX EXPIRED 10 YEARS AGO

RTD discovers luxury car driver did not renew road tax

- HASBI SIDEK cnews@nstp.com.my

THERE are some who can afford luxury-performanc­e vehicles, but apparently cannot afford the road tax for such vehicles. Perhaps such was the case when police and Road Transport Department (RTD) officers stopped the driver of a Ferrari during a joint operation at the Gombak toll plaza in the Karak Highway on Saturday.

Checks revealed that the vehicle’s road tax had expired 10 years ago.

Selangor Traffic Enforcemen­t and Investigat­ion Department (TEID) chief Superinten­dent Azman Shariat said the case of the Ferrari was just one of hundreds of traffic offences revealed in the joint operation, carried out for two days beginning Saturday morning.

He said 572 summonses were issued for traffic offences at the toll plaza, as well as Jalan Batang Kali-Genting.

Azman said the operation was focused on luxury vehicles and high-powered motorcycle­s, adding that it had been found that such vehicles frequently used Karak Highway and Jalan Batng Kali-Genting as “racing circuits” over the weekend.

“The operation included TEID personnel from federal police headquarte­rs in Bukit Aman, National Anti-Drug Agency (Nada) officers and the Department of Environmen­t.

“Police issued 355 summonses for offences. Of these, 94 had to do with driving licences, 31 for lack of side-view mirrors, 54 for offences involving road tax, 90 for registrati­on number plates that did not meet specificat­ions, 12 for failure to wear safety belts, six for using emergency lanes, 15 for offences involving ‘L’ and ‘P’ licences, and 49 for other traffic offences,” he said at the end of the operation.

He said police also detained eight men for drug-related offences, reckless driving, driving under the influence of alcohol and using false number plates.

“A Vietnamese woman was detained as she did not have valid travel documents.

“RTD issued 217 summonses for offences, while Nada conducted urine tests on 75 individual­s and detained 16 who tested positive for drug use.”

Azman said TEID had received informatio­n that the highway was used as a “venue” for “testing” high-powered motorcycle­s and luxury sports cars, adding that this behaviour was dangerous and posed a risk to road users.

“We often find that they commit other traffic offences as well, such as driving without licences or licences which do not match the class of vehicle; expired road taxes, such as in the case of the Ferrari owner; registrati­on plates that do not meet proper specificat­ions; and, illegally modifying their vehicles.”

 ??  ?? Traffic policemen inspecting the Ferrari at the Gombak toll plaza on Saturday.
Traffic policemen inspecting the Ferrari at the Gombak toll plaza on Saturday.

Newspapers in English

Newspapers from Malaysia