“The Johannesburg Metro Police Department (JMPD), together with 2Big Mobile Applications, has partnered with Vodacom to introduce an SMS traffic offence record system for motorists to check outstanding traffic fines, summons and warrants in real-time.
The SMS service is an extension of an Internet traffic fine system introduced last year. The SMS feature forms part of 2Big Mobile’s Integrated Information System, a five-part project, of which three phases were completed in September.
The first phase provides the JMPD with the functionality to check for outstanding fines by entering a car’s registration number on a cellphone. Phase two monitors and tracks police vehicles. The mobile fine printing facility and Web site were introduced during the third phase of the project.”
The service is fairly straightforward although there is a cost involved:
“To check the traffic fines, motorists SMS their ID number to 36997 from any cellphone network provider. Each SMS costs R5.
‘First time users will be sent a PIN code by the JMPD for future reference. They will have to resend the PIN code to verify their details. Additional charges will not apply for this function. The user will then be automatically registered in the database and the next time they want to check for traffic fines, they simply dial 36997 and the PIN code,’ says Edna Mamonyane, JMPD spokesperson.
Mokgatle Maesela, 2Big Mobile Applications executive director, says the SMS solution offers motorists the convenience and time management for checking traffic fines.
The SMS solution supports efforts to improve the JMPD’s service levels and means motorists will no longer have an excuse for not paying traffic fines, says Derrick Masoek, JMPD operations director.”
This latest initiative is really part of an overall upgrade of the JMPD’s systems which also includes improved “offender notification” processes. So there is now an even better chance that JMPD will track down traffic offenders and more ways for offenders to check what is outstanding.
Update:
I was referred given the following information by a colleague (thanks Roy) yesterday and it may be pretty useful for people in the Johannesburg area:
If you call in Johannesburg, you can find out if there our outstanding warrants waiting to pounce. I called and ended up forking out R500 (rather than face the humiliation of being stopped at a roadblock and being hauled off to a police station). I paid by credit card there and then (how 1st world!)
For telephonic fine queries you can call Joburg Connect Call Centre 011 375 5555. Please have your ID number ready.
» Motorists wanting to see the photo of their alleged speed or red robot violation can do so at the JMPD Wemmer Complex at no cost.
Photos of violations can be viewed online at www.payfine.co.za.
Apparently the Joburg eServices website “only gives information on cases with outstanding warrants and pending summonses. Information on offences where the notices and summonses are being delivered in preparation for a court hearing will become available in the near future.”
For more information on what to do if you are stopped at a roadblock and the police advise you that there is a warrant out for your arrest, click here.
Technorati Tags: JMPD, Johannesburg, Metro Police, sms, traffic fines
RSS – Posts
What do you think?