Discount on outstanding Durban traffic fines

[Dave A]

I have got this letter from Durban Metropolitan Police Service about their incentive for payment of all outstanding fines.

It looks like a good deal in that:

• all outstanding fines issued on or before 31 December 2004 will be withdrawn
• all outstanding fines issued on or after 1 January 2005 will be reduced by 50%

provided full settlement is made in a once off payment. The incentive closes on 4 September 2008.

It raises a few questions in my mind, like:

Is this happening in other parts of the country too?
What prompted this spasm of generosity?
Will there be an even better deal after 4 September?

[Graeme]

Too late!

If it were me, I would sit tight and wait to be subpoena'd.

I don't believe that these dockets ever reached the clerk of the court, or else they are defective in some way and it is too late to send them in now!

[murdock]

you see it doesnt pay to be honest and pay your bill if you dont have a fixed address...rather dont pay and wait for amnesty...this seems to be a trend in this country...tax...fines...etc and we all know the people who havent paid their fines are the ones who dont have a fixed address...i didnt pay a R50 parking ticket...for which i had a permit to park but could not leave it on the motorcycle and was arrested at my house... locked in the back of the police van and taken to westville police station they left a card in my post box i called the officer who left the card and i was arrested within 10 minutes of the call...i just wish they were this prompt when it came to more serious crimes.

[lamtim]

MR

you see it doesnt pay to be honest and pay your bill if you dont have a fixed address...rather dont pay and wait for amnesty...this seems to be a trend in this country...tax...fines...etc and we all know the people who havent paid their fines are the ones who dont have a fixed address...i didnt pay a R50 parking ticket...for which i had a permit to park but could not leave it on the motorcycle and was arrested at my house... locked in the back of the police van and taken to westville police station they left a card in my post box i called the officer who left the card and i was arrested within 10 minutes of the call...i just wish they were this prompt when it came to more serious crimes.

HOW CAN I GET A QUOTE ON ALL OUTSTANDING FINES?

[lamtim]

HOW CAN I GET A QUOTE ON MY OUTSTANDING TRAFFIC FINES

[Dave A]

For Durban, the number to call is 031-311 2860/1/2/3

Hopefully the lines will still be open, this being D-day. Let us know how it goes

[ZANELE MADUNA]

traffic fines payment

HOW CAN I GET A QUOTE ON ALL OUTSTANDING FINES?

[Dave A]

In which areas do you think you've got fines outstanding?

[Dave A]

Taxi owners are threatening to strike back if Metro Police doesn't stop "harrassing" them. Here's a snippet from the story that has some relevance to this thread.

The taxis were later released at no charge on Thursday after a meeting with the council. They also wanted traffic fines issued before June 1 to be scrapped.

Deputy city manager Derek Naidoo, who was present at the meeting, said the council has seen the need for a committee that would look at the interests of the taxi industry and therefore approved its formation. "I will take all the other issues raised back to council and from there we will work through each one.
full story from IOL here

Hmm. Anyone want to join taxi owners in a call to scrap traffic fines issued before 1 June? And if the metro gives the concession to taxi owners, would they then be obliged to give it across the board?

I suspect a case could be made for some sort of amnesty/scrapping with the new points system of penalty and enforcement coming.

[Dave A]

Due process

Apparently this is the way things are supposed to happen:

The traffic fine process:

1. A notice informing you of the traffic offence, the date and time the offence took place, the amount of the fine and the payment date is sent to your home, and you have 30 days from the notice issue date to settle the fine.

2. If you fail to pay the fine before the payment date, a second notice is sent out, after which you have a further 30 days to respond.

3. Failure to pay the fine will result in a third notice being sent. This "resembles a summons and indicates the intention to summon", which a motorist once again has 30 days to pay.

4. Failing which, a summons is then served to you by a summons bearer personally or to a person over 16 years old living on the premises. If you still have not paid the fine by the court date and fail to attend the court appearance to contest the fine, a warrant of arrest is processed.

5. If you are caught in a roadblock and there is a warrant out for your arrest, traffic officers have the right to arrest you if you don't pay the fine immediately. You will also face an additional R300 fine for being in contempt of court.

A fine is valid for only two years. If you haven't paid the fine by then and are fortunate to have escaped roadblocks, the fine gets cancelled.
full story from IOL here

[murdock]

something else which amazes me...is how many metro policemen and women and vehicles there are...could it be because they funded by all the fines they issue?

there is a shortage of SAP staff and vehicles or so i am told every time you need them...or is it just because they are toooo lazy to actually respond...as an example i needed a document signed so i went to pinetown police station early in the morning... they were actually sleeping on the counter and in the office and needed to be woken up

just an idea but maybe crimminals should have to pay huge fines which would could be paid by making them work it off over the years they spend in jail...which in turn would pay for their accomadation...help pay for the police force etc etc. think about it work gangs use to built train lines etc...we have a shortage of houses in this country.

there are so many crimminals... the jails are full...they could build new prisons...just think if you could get each one of them to contribute R1000 per month back into the system...do the sums there are more than 120 000 criminals in jail.

[Graeme]

It turns out that a really huge number of policemen do not have drivers licences! Nor does there seem to be any intention for them to be trained to drive and obtain licences.

But perhaps that is just as well -otherwise even more robots would be knocked over!