Don't panic if you get a traffic fine for R300,000

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.

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 91 kilometres an 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.