Department sets eagle eye on traffic defaulters
Traffic fine defaulters are in trouble as they are to be apprehended by the law-enforcement agencies.
MATAFFIN – Traffic fine defaulters are in trouble as they are to be apprehended by the law-enforcement agencies.
This follows the reintroduction of four traffic fine monitoring vehicles by the MEC for community safety, security and liaison, Mr Vusi Shongwe last Friday on the N4.
Dubbed Nyamsoro, it is Tsonga for a sangoma who will, by hook or crook, track down all who haven’t paid their fines. Addressing officials along the freeway, Shongwe said, “It’s been a problem for you, as traffic officers, to make sure that offenders are brought to book.
You come across some who have paid their fines and others who haven’t. This new system of collection and identifying culprits will assist in extracting them from their deepest corners.
“We had this system before, but there were certain flaws about it concerning the service provider. Now we have it right, and we just need people to comply with the law and pay up, irrespective whether you’re from this province or not, we will apprehend you.
“We’ve made it easier for officials to do their duty and this will also assist in the reduction of the carnage on our roads. I have even suggested to the HOD and chief director, that the system should actually commence with us at the government complex, and check out all the vehicles there if they comply or not.
“Surely, we need to lead by example, starting with us politicians, then the officials and then we can go to the everyday road users,” he said to loud applause, but when asked when that would be, he chuckled and said, “We will inform you”.
After seeing many motorists being pulled over after having been detected by the monitoring vehicles, Shongwe said, “Now it’s working. This is the beginning of more discipline for road users to be responsible.
“A traffic fine is not merely a punishment, but a motivation for the driver to act responsibly. We are giving them three months’ grace to put their houses in order or else we will strike very hard. Some will end up behind bars if they do not comply,” he said.
