ALONG with crime prevention and by-law enforcement, the core function of the Johannesburg metropolitan police department (JMPD) is traffic policing, which includes speeding, parking offences and manning roadblocks.

Parking offences
A notice will be issued for illegal parking; however, a parking ticket can be contested in court.

Traffic notices
A traffic notice issued by a police officer qualifies as a summons to appear in court. The notice will show the amount the offender has to pay and the date of the proposed court appearance, should the motorist want to contest the alleged offence.

Every location where electronic camera law enforcement is undertaken has to be approved by the director of public prosecutions. This does not relate to manual speed law enforcement, where motorists are stopped and given a notice by municipal police officers.

State-of-the-art equipment such as automatic number plate recognition machines, which scan vehicle registration numbers, is available at roadblocks.

Using this equipment, a number of transgressions can be identified:

• Outstanding warrants;
• Stolen vehicles;
• Hot-listed vehicles; and
• False number plates.

Camera enforcement
A notice (341) will be sent to the registered owner of the vehicle within 30 days of the offence. These notices have images on them for information purposes. The motorist can then choose to pay the amount or nominate a new driver.

To view the image on the notice, visit the Payfine website.

Redirecting a fine, or nominating a new driver
If the person who was sent the notice was not driving the vehicle at the time of the offence, a new driver can be nominated and the notice can be redirected.

In terms of the law, the licensed owner of a vehicle, or in the case of a company the company's proxy, is deemed to be the offender/driver of the vehicle unless the traffic fine can be successfully redirected.

A traffic fine can only be redirected when it is still on a first notice status on the traffic contravention system. An affidavit containing the information of the driver of the vehicle at the time of the offence must be signed and stamped by a commissioner of oaths.

Specific information is needed about the person who was driving at the time of the offence:

• Full name and surname;
• ID number or passport number;
• Physical/residential address; and
• Postal address.

The redirection document must be sent to the address listed on the 341 notice.

Contesting a fine
An outcome letter will be sent to the person in whose name the notice was issued. It should not take more than four weeks from receiving the representation to sending the outcome letter. If it does takes longer, contact the call centre on 011 836 0166 to investigate the matter.

Fine enquiries
There are a number of options available to enquire about the status of outstanding fines:

• Contact the call centre on 011 836 0166 and quote the notice reference number.
• Visit the Payfine website; you will have to register first, and then you will be able to view your traffic fine notice and an image of your motor vehicle.
• Send an SMS to 34010 with the word "REGISTER", followed by a space and then your identity number in the message box. You will receive a confirmation SMS, after which you can send the word "fine" to the same number to enquire your status. Enquiries cost R2 per SMS.

Paying traffic fines
Traffic tickets can be paid at the following metro police offices:

• At the Midrand Court, corner Old Pretoria Road and North Street, 011 805 6002;
• At the Marlboro Metropolitan Police Department offices, Eighth Street, Sandton, 011 321 6300;
• At the Randburg Metropolitan Police Department offices, Bram Fischer Drive, 011 919 5726;
• At the Roodepoort Metropolitan Police Department offices, Berlandina Street, 011 761 6445;
• In the CBD at the Johannesburg Metropolitan Police Department 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.

The offices are open between 7.30am and 3pm every weekday. For more information contact the call centre on 011 836 0166.

If you have a credit card, you can also pay online at Payfine. However, R5 is charged for each fine paid through the site.

If you are stopped at a roadblock with outstanding warrants, you can pay cash or by credit or debit card.

It is generally recommended that fines are paid in cash to avoid inconvenience. However, metropolitan police department cashiers can accept debit cards, credit cards and bank guaranteed cheques. Such payments must be made well before the payment date to reach the payment office on time.

Cheques must be made payable to the authority mentioned in part D of the ticket.

Motorists are warned against paying traffic fines through independent companies that claim to pay fines for a fee, as this is done at their own risk. If the company does not pay the notice a warrant of arrest will be issued and the motorist can land up in jail.

Court procedure
There are traffic magistrate courts in Randburg, Roodepoort, Meadowlands, Midrand and Johannesburg.

A strict procedure is followed for the prosecuting process:

• A motorist receives a notice;
• The motorist may opt to pay the notice, nominate a new driver (redirect) or contest the notice;
• If the motorist chooses not to act on the notice, a summons will be served on the owner of the vehicle, who must appear in court;
• If the person fails to appear in court, a warrant of arrest will be issued.

Summons
By law, a summons must be served at a person's residential property. If the person is not at home, the summons may be served on a person over the age of 16 who lives at or is employed on the premises.

The person may settle the matter by paying the outstanding amount together with the contempt of court fine.

Contempt of court
A person who fails to appear in court on the date stipulated in the summons will be held to be in contempt of court and is liable to pay the contempt of court fine.

Roadblocks
There is ongoing confusion over the rights of motorists at roadblocks.

In light of this, guidelines are suggested if an attempt is made to arrest you at a roadblock:

• A copy of the warrant of arrest must be supplied by the arresting officer on demand.
• A copy of the warrant of arrest does not need to be available immediately, but you cannot be detained while the warrant or a copy thereof is being fetched from the police station.
• You have the right to be informed of your constitutional rights, which include the reasons for your detention and arrest.
• If you are subjected to any abuse of your human rights, you will have a claim against the authorities.
• You must be taken to the place stipulated in the warrant or a police station as soon as possible after the arrest is made.
• You are not arrested for failing to pay a traffic violation but because you failed to appear in court pursuant to a summons.
• You have no right to see the return of service at the time of your arrest; this can be obtained later. The magistrate has seen the return of service and issued the warrant for your arrest on the basis of the information contained in it.
• In all circumstances where you are unsure of the procedures being followed, keep notes and records of time, places and specifically the names of the officials involved.
• The most important advice is to ensure that you act immediately when you receive a traffic notice and, when you pay it, ensure that you get a receipt or keep proof of payment if the payment was made electronically.

All roadblocks have debit card, credit card and cash payment facilities.

Impounded cars
Cars parked illegally in Johannesburg may be towed away and impounded by the Johannesburg metro police. To have the car released, the owner must pay a R650 impounding fee at the Johannesburg Metropolitan Police Department offices at the corner of Village Main Road and Loveday Street in the city centre. After 48 hours a storage fee of R45 a day will be charged.

The Joburg metro police do not use clamps, but some shopping centres do.

AARTO demerit system
The Johannesburg metro police will embark on a pilot project of the Administrative Adjudication of Road Traffic Offences (AARTO) in November 2008.

AARTO is a points system that uses the electronic National Traffic Information System (eNatis) to award and punish motorists for their road behaviour. In the past, all traffic offences were administered through the Criminal Procedure Act, which did not prioritise traffic violations.

The purpose of AARTO is to promote safety and discipline in road users.

The first pilot project for the demerit system in the country was launched in Tshwane in July 2008. It will be rolled out nationally in 2009.

For more information, visit the AARTO website.