End of the road for taxi driver with R100,000 in fines

It’s the end of the road for a “warrant-dodger” with nearly R100,000 in unpaid traffic fines.

A Cape Town taxi driver was arrested in Sea Point on Sunday after police, who were conducting an operation to combat illegal street racing, pulled his vehicle over. They found he had 44 outstanding warrants against him, amounting to R97,350.

He was one of four people arrested during the operation; the other three were charged with driving under the influence.

“The city will not compromise on the safety of its residents and is serious about enforcement for road users who disobey the law,” said JP Smith, mayoral committee member for safety and security.

In total, 90 people were arrested over the course of last week for traffic-related crimes.

According to Smith, “The Cape Town Traffic Service arrested 77 suspects for driving under the influence of alcohol, outstanding warrants, reckless and negligent driving, fraud, intimidation and failing to comply with a lawful instruction.”

He also noted that 129 minibus and sedan taxis had been impounded for not having valid operating licences and that 4,520 fines were dished out across the city for “various transgressions”.

"These weekly snapshots offer a window into our global enforcement efforts. Since the beginning of the year, we have alerted the public to numerous additional measures to try and tackle the lawlessness on our roads, in particular the public transport industry. The statistics are starting to reflect the impact of these measures, albeit slowly," said Smith.

He was also complimentary of the efforts of law enforcement in ensuring the success of the Red Bull F1 event hosted in the middle of the CBD on Sunday - "ensuring that it was safe and incident-free".