Penang Cancels 27,734 ANPR Compounds, Refunds RM203,170 To Motorists

GEORGE TOWN, Nov 5 (Bernama) -- Penang has cancelled 27,734 compounds issued through the automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) system and refunded RM203,170 to motorists following the discontinuation of the system.

State Local Government and Town and Country Planning Committee chairman H'ng Mooi Lye said 27,485 of the cancelled compounds were issued by the Penang Island City Council (MBPP), while the remaining 249 were issued by the Seberang Perai City Council (MBSP).

“Of the total, 6,470 compounds had been paid, comprising 6,441 under MBPP, for which RM202,435 was refunded to motorists, and 29 under MBSP, with refunds amounting to RM735,” he said in a written reply at the Penang State Legislative Assembly sitting here today.

He was responding to a question from Lee Khai Loon (PH-Machang Bubuk) on the cost of implementing ANPR, lessons learnt from the controversy surrounding the system, and the number of compounds cancelled and refunds made to motorists.

In August, Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow announced that MBPP and MBSP would immediately stop using the ANPR system to issue compounds pending a review of its implementation, following feedback and views from the public.

Earlier, MBPP Mayor Datuk A. Rajendran was reported as saying that since the system was introduced on April 24 last year, the council had issued an average of about 7,000 compounds monthly for various parking offences.

H'ng said the councils had not incurred any costs as the implementation of the system was covered under their existing contracts with HeiTech Padu (HTP), which bore all expenses related to its implementation.

-- BERNAMA