KUCHING, Dec 6: Kuching North City Hall (DBKU) will be enforcing wheel clamping on illegally parked vehicles within its jurisdiction some time next year.
According to its Datuk Bandar Datuk Abang Abdul Wahap Abang Julai, the letter of empowerment has already been approved by the Ministry of Infrastructure Development and Transportation, and had been given the thumbs-up by the Road Transport Department (JPJ).
Speaking during the DBKU uniformed enforcers monthly assembly this morning, he said the only thing now is to wait for the letter to be signed and issued by JPJ.
“The ministry and JPJ has agreed and will deliver the empowerment authorisation letter to DBKU soon,” said Abang Abdul Wahap, adding that he could not give a definite date.
He said it was timely for DBKU to enforce wheel clamping on illegally parked vehicles as many other local councils in the Peninsula have been doing it for a while and some earned between RM40,000 and RM50,000 per month on clamping release fees.
“Not that we are desperate for money, but we just want to see Kuching City organised and Kuching-nites more disciplined in parking their vehicles,” he explained, adding that the quantum of the clamp release fee was not available at hand.
On a related development, Abang Abdul Wahap also revealed that DBKU would also answer the call made by Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Tun Openg to embrace information technology (IT) and the digital economy by computerising its summons system.
He said this would be done by having DBKU’s traffic wardens only carrying handheld wireless devices which could send the summons data online back to the headquarters.
“So after we have that system running some time next year, the traffic wardens would not have to write summonses on paper only to be brought back to headquarters and the clerks to manually key in each of the summonses on the computer again.
“The summons details will go directly into the system from the tip of the traffic wardens’ fingers,” said Abang Abdul Wahap.
On another note, he also reminded DBKU enforcement officers especially those in uniform to watch their behaviour when wearing their uniforms or while on duty because anything negative could easily be made viral on social media.
He said with the advancement and easy-access of information and digital technologies nowadays, anything good including the bad could easily be captured by a digital device and instantly made viral on social media.
The negative impact would not only affect the uniformed enforcers, but also DBKU as a whole, he added.
“You uniformed enforcers are DBKU ambassadors. Whatever you say or do reflects on our organisation,” said Abang Abdul Wahap.
