Johannesburg - Joburg motorists who received a 50 percent rebate on their traffic fines have until Saturday to settle their debt or face the wrath of the law.
According to Chief Superintendent Wayne Minnaar, spokesman for the Johannesburg Metropolitan Police Department (JMPD), the rebate only applies to motorists who committed traffic offences between 31October 2006 to 31 October 2008.
The concession was introduced on 1 November last year as an early Christmas present, designed to encourage motorists who have outstanding traffic fines to pay-up, reports Joburg.org.
"The price cut was initially introduced because there were a lot of outstanding traffic fines prior to the [2008] festive season. We also wanted to encourage motorists to pay their outstanding traffic fines," Mr Minnaar confirms.
He said the price cut was only meant to last for three months, ending 31 January.
"Motorists should really take advantage of this offer because they might not get another discount," he said, adding that settling traffic fines early might "help [motorists] to avoid summonses or warrants of arrest".
The city has about R1.2-million outstanding warrants of arrests and over R4-million in traffic fines, Mr Minnaar said. He however confirms that by the by the end of November last year, over 140 000 Joburg motorists had already settled their traffic fines.
Motorists who ignore the offer, or miss the deadline, will be served with a summons and will have to pay the whole traffic fine with penalties, he said, adding that the JMPD was now able to serve summons notices to motorists outside Joburg's boundaries.
Traffic offenders who are based outside the metro's borders and have received a fine during the stipulated period can pay at any ABSA bank countrywide. "Every printed summons has the metro police's bank details."
Motorists who have credit cards can either settle their outstanding traffic fines electronically on www.payfine.co.za or at any of these metro police offices:
* Midrand Court, corner Old Pretoria Road and North Street, 011 805 6002;
* Marlboro Metropolitan Police Department offices, Eighth Street, Sandton, 011 321 6300;
* Randburg Metropolitan Police Department offices, Bram Fischer Drive, 011 919 5726;
* Roodepoort Metropolitan Police Department offices, Berlandina Street, 011 761 6445;
* In the CBD at the JMPD offices, corner Village Main Road and Loveday Street, 011 490 1740; or
* at the Johannesburg Magistrate's Court, corner Fox and Miriam Makeba streets, 011 834 0991.
In addition, Mr Minnaar said his unit will continue manning roads on a weekly basis, as a strategy to intensify road safety and stress law enforcement.
He said the JMPD will continue its 44-point system, where, on average, six roadblocks are administered on a daily basis.
The unit has five electronic roadblocks operating weekdays, and four on Sundays.
