Joburg motorists in a panic over fine glitch

2012-04-04 09:26

Johannesburg - The omission of a decimal comma in the Johannesburg Metro Police Department's traffic fine issuing system has resulted in huge shocks for many motorists, according to a report on Wednesday.

Road Traffic Infringement Agency (RTIA) deputy registrar Sherman Amos said motorists should not panic if they found themselves confronted with fines of, for example, R50 000 or R300 000.

According to Beeld newspaper, many traffic offenders who recently lodged complaints about the validity of their fines were subsequently issued with a notification stating that their complaints had been rejected, and that they had to pay up.

One motorist who initially queried a R750 fine for driving between 91km/hour and 95km/h in an 80km/h zone was told he had to pay a R75 000 fine within 32 days.

Amos said that the RTIA had taken up the issue with the Johannesburg metro police, which was aware of the problem, and had said they were trying to rectify it.

Meanwhile, The Star reported that a Bryanston woman has been slapped with a R50 000 traffic penalty fine for apparently not paying her speeding fines in full.

Wendy Alberts, CEO of the Restaurant Association of SA, told The Star that she had received 3 speeding fines in January. As the fines came late, she paid the 50% reduced rate offered for payment within 32 days.

So she paid R250 for each of the three R500 fines.

Soon afterwards she received a notice from the Administrative Adjudication of Road Traffic Offences Act - or Aarto - telling her to send proof she had paid her fines.

She also had to submit forms saying she had paid the fines as soon as she had received them.

She was then informed that her representation on the first of the three fines had been rejected and she now had to pay a penalty fine of R50 000 within 32 days.

The RTMC said her case would be investigated.

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- News24