JPJ takes soft approach first with young motorists

JASIN: The Road Transport Department (JPJ) will continue to strengthen its advocacy programme on the importance of motorists and motorcyclists, especially school students, having valid licences.

Its director-general, Datuk Rospiagus Taha, said this included getting 23,000 individuals between the ages of 16 and 35, including students who ride motorcycles to school without a licence, to get their driving license within a six-month period.

"We will not take legal action because we are in the advocacy phase and at the same time, we also understand the constraints facing students who need to ride motorcycles to get to school.

"As for parents who allow their children to ride motorcycles or drive without a licence, we will also focus on advocacy," he said when met after opening the southern zone JPJ cadet camp here on Wednesday.

He believed that a systematic and targeted advocacy approach would help raise public awareness of the need to have a valid licence to drive or ride vehicles.

It will also help lower the existing statistics on road accidents and fatalities, he said, adding that he was optimistic that programmes like the JPJ cadet camp, which involved the participation of school students would have an impact on young people about the importance of having a valid licence to ride or drive and obeying road rules and regulations.

The four-day camp involved the participation of more than 300 students from Johor, Melaka, Negri Sembilan, Selangor and Kuala Lumpur.

"We see these JPJ cadets as road safety ambassadors and the best platform to train them to help convey the message of road safety advocacy to other students at school, as well as parents,” he added.