JMPD’s targeted fine collection disgusting — JPSA

Reports have recently surfaced that JMPD has failed to meet their revenue target for the third consecutive quarter.

Justice Project South Africa’s (JPSA) Howard Dembovsky has said that JPSA has “noted with utter disgust a report that JMPD have “only managed to collect R301 million of their R452 million ‘budget’ in the third quarter”.

“A collection rate of 70 per cent for traffic fines in South Africa is unheard of and stands in stark contrast to 30 per cent in the Western Cape and the 12.55 per cent contained in the 2012/ 13 annual report of the Road Traffic Infringement Agency (RTIA) which is responsible for the administration of infringement notices issued under the AARTO Act; under which the JMPD is one of the only two traffic authority jurisdictions that are supposed to be operating,” said Dembovsky

“Furthermore, if this is a quarterly budget as suggested, then it is safe to say that the JMPD has budgeted R1.7 billion (R425 million times four) income from traffic fines in a single year. This in itself highlights and exposes the JMPD as being nothing more than revenue generation and collection mechanism for the City of Johannesburg, as opposed to being a traffic law enforcement agency involved in achieving law and order and road safety objectives on our roads,” continued Dembovsky.

Dembovsky also said that “JMPD have been allowed to continue to generate and chase revenues for the City of Johannesburg for more than long enough now and it is high time that they either shift their focus to ensuring law and order and saving lives on our roads, or be disbanded entirely. Both they and the City of Johannesburg should be ashamed of their profiteering from death and injury on our roads, but instead they openly exhibit psychopathic tendencies in their insatiable love and pursuit of money”.