Traffic officers have issued more than 8-million fines across South Africa this year, with the Joburg metro police handing out the most.
It issued more than 3.3-million traffic infringements since January and raked in R46.9m from the payment of fines, according to the Road Traffic Management Corp (RTMC).
Tshwane issued only 514,581 fines during the same period and generated revenue of R7.3m.
Cape Town issued 2.7-million fines, but generated the highest amount, R163.4m, between January and September. Ekurhuleni issued 1.6-million tickets, bringing in R61.4m.
Everywhere, speeding was the most common violation.
In Joburg and Tshwane, fines for faulty vehicle parts were the second-most common offence, followed by motorists driving unregistered and unlicensed vehicles.
Officers use handheld devices and automated number plate recognition technology to track down offenders at vehicle checkpoints, roadblocks or while doing roving patrols
— Cape Town MMC for safety and security JP Smith
Other road infringements, such as not wearing a seat belt, netted the second-highest number of fines in Ekurhuleni, Cape Town, Limpopo, Gauteng, Northern Cape and the Eastern Cape.
RTMC spokesperson Simon Zwane said motorists in Tshwane and Joburg, which are part of an Administrative Adjudication of Road Traffic Offences Act pilot project, owe more than R1.4bn in fines.
The Joburg metro police is owed R945m, Tshwane metro police R209m, while Gauteng traffic police and RTMC are owed R166m in Tshwane and R155m in Joburg.
The Ekhuruleni metro police issued traffic fines amounting to more than R819m since January, with those issued from speed camera enforcement making up R536m, said spokesperson Kelebogile Thepa.
More than 96,000 handwritten infringement notices were for drivers not wearing seat belts, and 76,400 for driving without licences.
Thepa said unpaid 2023 traffic fines stood at R665m, while the total amount for all outstanding traffic fines was R1.6bn.
Cape Town MMC for safety and security JP Smith said offences such as illegal overtaking, failing to stop at red lights and stop signs, and disobeying arrows were common offences by motorists in the Mother City.
“Traffic fine income between January and September 2023 was R163.4m. This income is not necessarily for fines issued during the same period,” Smith said.
He said between January and October, the city’s traffic service recorded more than 2.7-million traffic offences. Cape Town has a dedicated team that tracks down offenders on the top-100 warrants list, he said.
“Officers use hand-held devices and automated number plate recognition technology to track down offenders at vehicle checkpoints, roadblocks or while doing roving patrols.”
Smith said motorists with outstanding fines or warrants have a mark attached to their profile on the eNatis system, preventing them from renewing vehicle licences or registering a vehicle until their fines and warrants are finalised.
“The city has also introduced traffic buses that visit malls and other high-traffic areas, where motorists can inquire about or settle fines.”
eThekwini and Mangaung had not responded to requests for information at the time of going to print.
According to the RTMC, Limpopo led the pack in terms of the number of infringement notices issued among provincial authorities, at 129,800, with a value of R65.1m.
So far, 13,900 Limpopo fines worth R4.7m, which represents 11% of fines, have been paid.
Gauteng traffic issued 34,000 traffic fines worth R14.7m this year, with just R460,000 paid, representing just 1.4%, Zwane said.
Northern Cape and Eastern Cape traffic departments issued 5,400 and 500 fines, worth R4.5m and R450,000 respectively, he said.
The Northern Cape has received payment of R103,000 while the Eastern Cape received R15,500 — which represents 5.1% of all the fines issued.
Zwane said outstanding unpaid fines for Limpopo, Gauteng, Northern Cape, Eastern Cape and the RTMC were standing at R84.8m, with Limpopo owed the bulk of the money, at R48.3m.
Gauteng and the RTMC were owed R13.9m and R17.9m respectively, while the Northern Cape and the Eastern Cape had R4.3m and R292,000 outstanding.
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