No receipt for ‘spot fine’ raises suspicions
When Clinton Scott was informed by his driver he could not receive a receipt for paying a fine, he was immediately suspicious.
POLOKWANE – Scott, who manages a chemical cleaning manufacturing and distribution firm in the city contacted BONUS last Tuesday to find out what he can do about the matter.
He explained the entire incident came about after one of his business trucks were overloaded and stopped at the weighing station outside the city.
“Our company has the needed equipment to prevent this from happening but it was an oversight and the truck was overloaded. My driver was fined R2 000 on Tuesday at the Polokwane Traffic Control Weighbridge and he contacted me to inform me the fine had to be paid in cash at the weighbridge as demanded by the traffic officials. I sent another driver with the cash to the weighbridge with the clear instruction to wait for a receipt,” Scott said.
The driver with the cash contacted Scott soon after saying that the weighbridge office could not issue him with a receipt for the fine being paid.
“I then told the driver the person receiving the money must then sign for the payment as proof in my employee’s dairy, which they refused to do,” Scott added.
He said the personnel at the weighbridge told his drivers all fines must be paid on the spot at the weighbridge. Scott said he doesn’t have an issue paying the fine as the company’s vehicle was overloaded, but the fact that no proof of payment could be given made him suspicious which is why he decided to speak out about it.
“Eventually I sent the driver with the cash and the fine to the Provincial Traffic Offices in Potgieter Avenue where he paid the fine. It was highly frustrating as the personnel at the weighbridge did not make it easy for us to resolve this matter sufficiently,” Scott told BONUS.
According to Limpopo Department of Transport Spokesperson, Joshua Kwapa, no demand such as spot fines can be made by any traffic official at weighbridges. He added fines can be paid at the Provincial Traffic Office in Potgieter Avenue.
“The vehicle was found to be overloaded and the traffic officials at the weighbridge initially wanted to arrest the driver but instead opted to issue a R2 000 fine. There is, however, no rule to demand that fines should be paid in cash on the spot at weighbridges,” Kwapa explained.
