LAST week, news of hot selling AKU number plates took up headlines, with one person paying RM200,000 for the ‘AKU 1’ vanity plate. This week, Bernama reported that the Kelantan Road Transport Department (RTD) detained a motorcyclist for riding a motorcycle with fake registration plate number DDD 111.
The RTD officers that stopped the man in his 20s must have been perplexed. According to Kelantan RTD director Mahasan Mustapa, the decision for the tender on the special number had not even been released.
”The man was detained in Jalan Kebun Sultan here at 3.20 pm yesterday,” Mahasan said at a press conference on Tuesday.
Further investigation of the man revealed that he did not possess a driving license, while the motorcycle was registered to a different number plate, and did not have a valid road tax, or insurance coverage.
The man is currently being investigated under the Road Transport Act 1987.
RTD COUNTERS TOO HIGH?
While Kelantan RTD investigate the case of the fake vanity plate, the Petaling Jaya Road Transport Department has come under fire for having counters that are too high.
According to a report on NSTOnline’s ActionLine, city folks have complained about recent design changes at the counters of the Petaling Jaya RTD branch, saying the chest-high counters are causing trouble to people, especially senior citizens, the disabled and those with health problems.
They complained that the height of the chest-high counters caused difficulties to people, especially senior citizens, the disabled and those with health problems.
One resident, Nurul Huda Jamaluddin, 56, urged the department to provide low service counters for people who might need them.
“The counters at the PJ RTD branch used to be at desk level. There were chairs for people to sit while dealing with officers.
“But, now, the counters are at chest level, forcing people to stand. This is not convenient for senior citizens, like myself, who are not able to stand for long. We must consider the disabled, those with health problems and are wheelchair-bound.”
RTD has responded to the NST query by saying that it would set up a room at the PJ branch with low tables and chairs for senior citizens, the disabled and those with health problems.
An RTD spokesman said if the department receive more complaints, it would consider providing lower counters at branches with high counters to cater to those with special needs.
MY EG PRE-TAX PROFIT INCREASES TO RM201.48 MIL
If MY EG continues its stellar growth though, the need for RTD counters at all may not be even necessary.
Online transactions are ramping up, increasing revenue for MY EG to RM371.60 million from RM281.73 million previously.
Although MY EG said the higher revenue was primarily driven by foreign workers’ permits and related services, RTD related services also contributed to the revenue growth.
”The increase in revenue contribution from our Road Transport Department-related services and from our motor vehicle trading-related services also contributed to the higher revenue posted,” MY EG said.