Traffic fines are not only inconvenient, but they just feel like a waste of money. What once might have been a R100 traffic fine has now become R500.
No, you are not imagining things, but if you reside in the Western Cape, the fine prices have increased at an alarming rate.
Unlike the rest of the country that runs on the Criminal Procedure Act or AARTO when dishing out fines, the Western Cape created its own Traffic Law Enforcement Code Book.
After closer inspection at the fine prices, it is clear that Western Cape residents are forced to pay almost triple what other provinces are paying for fines.
How Do Taxis Get Away With It?
Unlike trucks which are forced to stop at a weighbridge to be weighed and checked, why aren’t taxis forced to do the same thing?
How often have you seen a taxi filled to the brim with people, where the tires look like they are yelling for help, but yet law enforcement does absolutely nothing.
Trucks that have weighed and exceeded the required weight are forced to offload their goods as well as pay a hefty fine for overloading. Surely taxis should be charged a fine for overloading, as this isn’t goods we are talking about, but rather human life that could potentially be in danger.
Not roadworthy? Empty Those Pockets
Western Cape Traffic Management loves to check vehicles for being unroadworthy. If you can’t produce a roadworthy certificate and your vehicle looks like it has seen better days, prepare yourself for a hefty fine. This fine could be as big as R3 000! If you are caught driving again with the same vehicle that has still not passed the roadworthy test, then you could be expected to pay another R3 500 fine for negligence and disobeying the law.
But once again, what about those taxis we see on the road that are pretty much falling apart? They never seem to be the ones being pulled over for unroadworthy vehicles even though they look like they have just come out of a blender.
Price Difference: Cape Town vs. Joburg
If you thought we were joking when we said that the Western Cape traffic department are adamant to charge more, you thought wrong. Here are the stats to prove it!
Yes, this is pretty ridiculous that one province should be forced to pay more than another for the same crime but how is this fair? Is it because Western Cape drivers are better so there are fewer incidents, meaning that the traffic department needs to make their moolah? Hopefully, this will be publicized, and the city will refute this.
Want to find out more and read the full scoop, click here.
