EACH AES system garners at least RM300k per month

Daily, I drive past the AES monitored junction of United Garden- Jalan Klang Lama. At every traffic light change (where the AES is 'looking'), at least 3 cars are caught (i.e. light flashed). At this junction, peak traffic is from morning 7am till evening 7pm, but lets take 10 hours when 3 cars are 'caught'  by AES at every change of traffic light.  Let see, how much summon fees are collected every month at this junction:

(i) assume traffic changes every 5 min (traffic light changes faster than this 5 min), so there are 12 traffic changes each hour;
(ii) at least 3 cars are 'caught' by AES  at every traffic light change
(iii) 10 hours of 'active' operation, i.e AES keeps catching motorists
(iv) Summon RM300/-

TOTAL SUMMON  FEES AT THIS JUNCTION ALONE
=30 days x  10 hr/ day  x 12 traffic changes/ hr x 3 cars/ traffic change  x RM300 /summon
~~ RM300,000 per month !!!

If 1,000 AES as planned, - RM300 MILLION PER MONTH !!

AES at junction United Gdn-Jalan Klang Lama , KL

For past many days since the AES was installed at this junction of United Garden - Jalan Klang Lama, I as many drivers have been stressed by the traffic light change. There was only about 3-sec change of Green light to Red light. My car was 'snapped' by the AES when I was crossing the junction while the light was still Green, but then the light turned Amber and rapidly to Red before I completed my crossing. I could not speed across the junction when Isaw the light changed to Amber while in middle of junction as there were still cars moving infront (i.e. Not void of any cars infront of me!).

Today, while approaching the same junction, I noted the green light flicked about 5 times, then only changed to Amber. Phew, what a relief. This flickering is giving lots of warning time to drivers approaching the junction. I stopped my car at the white line even before the light turned to Amber.

Road Transport Department should immdiately implement same ' green light flcikering' at all junctions. It should not be expensive, just a fine tuning of the software (may be additional 20 lines of computer codings) that controls the traffic light.

Appropriate site offshore Tawau for the Tsunami buoy?

On Friday 19/10/2012, media reported a fatal accident during deployment of a tsunami buoy near Pulau Sipadan. This is the first ever fatal accident in such deployment. I have been personnaly involved or supervised contractor to deploy similar buoy on seasurface in water depth up to 2,000m. With proper vessel equipped with A- frame and experienced contractor to release buoy to seasurface under favourable sea condition, the work is safe. (we stopped work when condition was unfavourable), 

Meanwhile, I am concerned on the intended positioning of such a tsunami buoy in the Celebes Sea. Tsunami travels very fast, up to 400 kt, as fast as the cruising speed of a commercial airline.   The buoy must be located far from coast to detect the tsunami signal and gives warning to the local authority who then issues warning to the ppl. If there is an auto-trigger of the warning (i.e. with human intervention), the  buoy should be at least 20 -min time from the coast of Sabah, which then requires the buoy to be placed about 120 nautical miles from coast of Sabah. Picture shows the preferred locations of the buoy (indicated by the white lines). If the buoy is placed too near to shore, the tsunami will reach the coast, kills many ppl before  warning is received.

Putting a buoy is expensive..my experience 6 years ago (i)  cost of mob and demob a vessel (<1 ---="---" cost="cost" day="day" deployment="deployment" gross="gross" ii="ii" just="just" nbsp="nbsp" of="of" one-off="one-off" per="per" port="port" rate="rate" rm300k="rm300k" rm500k="rm500k" so="so" tawau="tawau" the="the" this="this" to="to" ton="ton" using="using" vessel="vessel"> RM1 mill, (iii) monthly rental of buoy, weights, chain, satellite trasnponders etc RM 300k per month, or> RM3mill per year. Thereafter every 6-9 months, service visit to buoy using same type of vessel, recurrence cost ~>RM1 million (today vessel's mob/demob cost and its  day rate should be significantly  higher!)

Thus, this tsunami project must be done with great care and prudence

AES system- 2-sec not enough clear traffic light junction

Did senior management who approved the 2-sec system of the AES try out this method , or they will use their 'connection' to remove picture of their vehicles snapped by the AES camera while committing this 'crime'?

 

In late Sept 2012, I might have my first 'crime' with the AES at junction of United Garden/Jalan Klang Lama. 

 

I noted GREEN light while driving towards this junction traffic light (and to OUG). While at the white line on the road, the light was still GREEN and I pressed the pedal but not to accelerate because there were moving cars inside the yellow box ahead. At that same instant, light turned AMBER, then RED, and I saw flashes light of the AES before my car could cross over completely!! 

 

We demand the power-that-be to demonstrate to us that he can do such magic trick of 2-sec crossing, 

with other cars ahead   still   crossing the junction  or moving ahead while inside the yellow box.

Acupuncture helps to relieve my pain

Recently I sprained my lower back while packing some old newspapers. No relief despite massage and applying the 'deep heating' plaster. Meanwhile, my right  knee has been aching for past few months despite acupuncture and other treatment(and daily been applying  the plaster).

Friends introduced me to the TDM centrer at the Wisma Buddhist. I went there last Saturday (Eve of Mooncake Festival) and saw a small crowd. I  registered for acupuncture treatment. Guidance note explains RM10/- for such treatment (Tung Shin  Hospital charges RM20/- while other private acupuncturists charge RM35/- for a session).

Waited only 15 minutes. I was  called to a room to meet  this very young 'sinseh'. and in my heart- OMG a trainee?! I explained to him my problems and thereafter he asked me to go to another room where the acupuncturist  directed me a to a bed with a sign 'just sanitized'. I laid on the bed and he poked needles to my back. After 20 minutes, he removed the needle and asked me to sit on a chair. He then put 3 needles on my right  knee (my previous acupuncturists put more needles on this knee and also on the right leg!), and he placed a moxa on one of the needles. While sitting, I noted the young ppl here really cleaned (and sanitized) each bed after use.

On my way home, I felt no more pain in my lower back and relief in my right  knee. Damn, I must vist these young sinseh again to get  further treament for my knee (and other aches).

This TDM centre closes on Monday; daily session 8:45am till 11:45am, abd 1:45pm till 4:45pm