JPJ Penang Issues Over 2,700 Summonses During Hari Raya Road Safety Operation

GEORGE TOWN: The Road Transport Department (JPJ) in Penang issued a total of 2,724 summonses for various traffic offenses during the 13-day Ops Khas Hari Raya Aidilfitri 2026, which commenced on March 13.

Penang JPJ director Zulkifly Ismail revealed that 19,900 vehicles were inspected throughout the operation, with 1,492 found to have violated traffic regulations.

He said the most frequent offense was related to expired or missing road tax, accounting for 576 summonses. This was followed by driving without a valid license (541 cases) and lack of insurance coverage (468 cases).

“A total of 13 vehicles were seized for multiple offenses during the operation,” he told reporters after attending a road safety advocacy program on Saturday night.

Private vehicles recorded the highest number of violations at 1,860 cases, followed by motorcycles (500), heavy goods vehicles exceeding 7,500 kg (253), light goods vehicles below 7,500 kg (83), and public service vehicles including buses (19).

The advocacy program was jointly organized by JPJ and the Royal Malaysia Police (PDRM), in collaboration with Konsortium Pelancongan Bumiputera Sdn Bhd as part of efforts to enhance road safety during the festive season.

Zulkifly noted that 245 enforcement personnel were deployed during the operation, carrying out inspections at bus depots and audits at major terminals such as Penang Sentral and Sungai Nibong, as well as patrols along five key traffic corridors and accident-prone locations.

He added that undercover operations were also conducted, with officers posing as express bus passengers to monitor driver behavior in public service vehicles.

“Overall compliance among bus drivers was satisfactory, with no offenses detected during these covert inspections,” he said.

In addition, JPJ intensified enforcement through covert monitoring, deploying personnel in unmarked vehicles along highways and high-traffic areas to track and record offenses in real time.

Authorities stressed that such operations are crucial in ensuring road safety, particularly during peak travel periods like Hari Raya Aidilfitri.