Cops catch 556 for licences
2003-05-15 12:35
Pietermaritzburg - Traffic authorities in KwaZulu-Natal said on Thursday they were clamping down hard on drivers who had not converted to the new driving licence.
"Every day the numbers are mounting and we are determined to continue with the campaign," said Rajen Crinaboo of KwaZulu-Natal inspectorate.
He said that since the deadline for converting licences had expired on April 30, 298 motorists had been charged with not having a valid document and a further 258 were charged with failing to carry a licence.
He said the main excuse for not having the new licence was that the driver could not afford the costs involved.
Other drivers said they objected in principle to the whole process.
Crinaboo said most of the drivers without the new licence were deemed to have no licence at all and would have to redo the learner's and driver's tests which would cost them R205 - R85 for the learner's and R120 for the driver's.
In addition, they would have to pay a fine which varied from magisterial district to magisterial district and was at the discretion of the magistrate.
However, he said, typical fines were in the region of R500 to R1 000.
- SAPA