Monday, 26 October 2009

SA's traffic fines defaulters in danger

This week a road from Rustenburg to Thabazimbi was flooded with traffic offers known as Jaws.

It was clear that they were on a mission of cleaning drivers whose cars are not road worthy and those who have not paid their fines in months, if not years. This was confirmed by the number of arrests that took place in the city last week.

The Star newspaper reports that ‘a 54-year-old man with 18 outstanding traffic fines was arrested in Rustenburg’ according to North West public safety department.

Spokesman Lesiba Moses Kgwele told the newspaper that Jawsarrested the man and other motorists on Tuesday’… who ‘had 18 outstanding traffic fines to the value of R11 310”.

The ‘warrants were served on 102 motorists and R51 540 was recouped,’ – reports the newspaper – and that ‘another truck driver employed by the same company as the 54-year-old man was arrested three weeks ago for 19 outstanding traffic fines to the value of R11 120”.

Defaulters were only released ‘after paying the fines’ which is great for a country like SA considering its motorists’ behaviours.

In other parts of the province, Taung, apparently ‘209 motorists were arrested and served with warrants for outstanding traffic fines in Taung and R81 460 recovered’.

The arrests bring to 1,404 warrants served on motorists since the unit embarked on a province-wide special operation to arrest motorists for unpaid fines,” reports The Star.

The department’s operation is ‘in its fourth week… [and] has thus far recouped close to R558 460," said Kgwele.

So if you have been dodging or defaulting in your traffic fines for some time, whether in Gauteng or any other part of South Africa – you better pay now because, Jaws as it’s come to be known, is gonna get’cha!

And as for Papa who once defaulted on his traffic fines, I am glad he's not doing that anymore, at least since the last time I checked.

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