KUALA LUMPUR: Traffic police have appealed to motorists to refrain from posting alerts about police presence on the roads via applications such as Waze as it hampers enforcement against errant drivers, especially those driving under the influence of alcohol and other habitual traffic offenders.
City Traffic Enforcement and Investigation Department chief Assistant Commissioner Sarifudin Mohd Salleh said while there was nothing the police could do to stop people from doing so, motorists should realise dangers caused by drunk drivers and other errant motorists like those beating traffic lights and committing other traffic offences.
He said updates on Waze - which lets users report the presence of police on the roads, impacted police operations.
"We cannot stop the flow of such information. However, we hope users work with the police instead of trying to help those who commit traffic offences.
"There is no need to share the location of police presence as it can impact the effectiveness of traffic enforcement," he said.
Waze allows drivers to send traffic-related reports, including the location of police and speed traps.
In other words, one driver can flag the location of a speed trap on the map, with all the other Waze users in the region then getting a warning and seeing precisely where the police officers are located.
In theory this is supposed to encourage safer driving but it also allows errant motorists such as those driving under the influence to plot alternate routes to avoid being caught at locations flagged on Waze.
Meanwhile, touching on the expected surge in traffic during the Chinese New Year (CNY) celebrations, Sarifudin said about one million vehicles were expected to leave the city as motorists headed to their hometowns to celebrate.
He said Op Selamat 19, launched in conjunction with the CNY period, would focus on hotspot locations that were expected to see traffic congestion.
Sarifudin advised road users to obey all traffic regulations by not cutting queues, misusing the emergency lane and obstructing traffic.
"Public cooperation throughout the operation period from January 18 to 27 will ensure the comfort of road users and a smooth flow of traffic," he said.