Welcome to GreedFines.co.za.

Latest addition to the wall of shame!

Do not call them "Sus scrofa" or you will find yourself in hot water! Click here to find out where this was taken.

Triple fine values and illegal AARTO 03 notices.

Since the end of the "pilot phase" of AARTO shockingly high amounts on fines issued to juristic persons (companies and the like) have been going out from the JMPD. Despite being the only other Metro to be implementing AARTO, Tshwane (Pretoria) apparently has not followed suit, leaving this firmly in Johannesburg's hands.

But then to add to this, AARTO notices which should be served via registered post have also been going out via standard surface mail. This is completely contrary to the Act and invalidates all notices that have gone out like this.

You can gain relief by visiting www.aartofacts.co.za where JPSA deals with this matter. You can also read the media release here or listen to the podcast from the 702/Cape Talk Midday Report with Chris Gibbons here. It is the second item, after the Glen Agliotti story.

RTMC commissions survey on AARTO Awareness.

The RTMC has commissioned a survey on the public awareness of AARTO. Please take a little time and complete their survey and let them know exactly what you think or know about AARTO. You can do it anonymously or name yourself. It is up to you.

JPSA urges you to please take a few minutes to do so. You can just close the window that their site ends up on when you finish to return to this site.

Click here to start their survey.

These aren't even greed fines - they are stupid fines!

There seems to be no limit to the extent to which some metro police officers will go to demonstrate just how financially driven their employers and legislaters are. There has been a recent spate of fining of motorists driving small motor-cars for not carrying warning triangles and believe it or not, this is quite legally enforcable! The Goverment Gazette (No. 26598) of 23 July 2004 quite clearly states that a motor-car first registered after 1 July 2006 must carry at least one "Emergency warning sign (triangle)". This despite the fact that all motor-cars registered after that date will have hazard lights! We give particular thanks to the Tshwane Metro Police Department (TMPD) for bringing this change to our notice in justifying their officer's actions in slapping motorists with fines of R500 a pop for this offence.

Regulation 214 (1) (a) of the National Road Traffic Regulations, which previously stated that a motor-car does not have to carry one was amended in 2004 and this amendment now reads: 1. For the purpose of this regulation – (a) the expression “motor vehicle” excludes an ambulance or motor-car first registered before 1 July 2006, a motor cycle, motor tricycle or a motor quadrucycle; (b) “reflective material” means reflective material which under all circumstances is capable of reflecting light; and (c) the expression “warning triangle” means (i) for goods vehicles, minibuses and buses with a gross vehicle mass of 3 500 kilograms or less a double sided sign having the shape, design minimum dimensions and colours as illustrated hereunder and of which the red portion on each side - (aa) shall consist of red reflective material; or (bb) shall be painted red and have retro-reflectors in each corner; or (ii) for any other motor vehicle, a warning sign complying with the requirements of standard specifications SABS 1329 “Retro-Reflective and Fluorescent Warning Signs For Road Vehicles”, Part 1: “Triangles” and bears a certification mark. Provided that in the case of a combination of motor vehicles, the emergency warning sign for every motor vehicle of such combination may be carried on the drawing vehicle. Clearly most motor-car manufacturers have either chosen to ignore this regulation or were not made aware of it at the time, since there are very few motor vehicle manufacturers that supply their cars with warning triangles as standard equipment. We have not seen these on lists of optional extras either. Just like you cannot opt to have a car supplied to you without seatbelts, why should it be that warning triangles are not supplied as standard equipment? With the possible exception of high-end, prestige motor vehicles and certain SUV's, warning triangles are not supplied as standard equipment. We therefore URGENTLY urge you to go into your nearest motor spares supplier and buy one to carry in your car. If you have purchased a new motor-car after 1 July 2006 then you should probably demand that the motor manufacturer supply you with one for free. Watch out though. Builder's Warehouse sells a "Motorquip" basic warning triangle for R120 whilst Kotwalls Motor Spares sells the same thing for just R20!

AARTO Under the Spotlight

AARTO is in full force (excluding the points for now) in Johannesburg and Tshwane now and is due to be rolled out to Cape Town, Durban, Ekurhuleni and other municipalities on 1 July 2010.

JPSA has worked with Carte Blanche Consumer on a short insert on AARTO and how it encourages corruption. This came after JPSA trying everything to get the likes of the RTMC to see reason on this and work with us to implement solutions that would tackle this evil called corruption.

Instead of welcoming our initiatives, the RTMC labeled JPSA (in the words of Collins Letsoalo) as "trouble makers". Too bad - so sad.

If you missed or were unable to watch Carte Blanche Consumer on 20 May 2010, you can watch it online now at http://beta.mnet.co.za/carteblanche/Article.aspx?Id=3961&ShowId=2

» Watch the Carte Blanche Insert Here

This site is dedicated to exposing the practices of the various Metro Police Departments (and their business partners) who make flagrant use of camera "speeding" fines which boost their coffers (by obscene amounts) but do absolutely nothing to reduce speeding, enforce traffic laws or protect the public.

At the outset, we must make it clear that we regard speeding as a dangerous practice and do not condone it in any way, shape, manner or form. However, there is a vast difference between intentional and dangerous speeding and what the majority of the public is being hammered for at the moment. And there is an even bigger difference between policing and fleecing! Hiding away in bushes does not slow motorists down and - if speed is the biggest factor in fatal collisions, save lives. What it does achieve is cases - lots of them.

The latest "interesting" offering showing exactly just how far some traffic authorities will go to collect their "dues" comes from this example sent out by traffic-fines.co.za, a domain which belongs to VVM collections who have been "contracted" by the JMPD to act on their behalf.

JPSA previously stated that this was not a scam, but now it appears that there are significant similarities between 419 scams and the VVM and JMPD effort. Watch Carte Blanche Consumer on Thursday 3 June 2010 at 19:00 to see more about this!

Click here to learn more! You cannot afford not to read it.

If you missed or were unable to watch Carte Blanche Consumer on 3 June 2010, you can watch it online now at http://beta.mnet.co.za/carteblanche/Article.aspx?Id=3981&ShowId=2

The JMPD (Johannesburg Metropolitan Police Department), which controls Greater Johannesburg, Roodepoort, Randburg, Sandton and Midrand Metropolitan Police is engaging in an all out onslaught on motorists by making use of portable speed cameras issued to their entrapment officers. Many of these are being operated in the construction zones that have been commissioned on the major freeways in and around Johannesburg and Pretoria (Tshwane) where the speed limit on National Freeways has been reduced to 80KM/h. The GFIP (Gauteng Freeway Improvement Projects) have been commissioned ahead of the all-important, all-consuming 2010 FIFA World Cup event which South Africa was chosen to host.

Whilst the speed limit reduction has been put in place for good reasons, the simultaneous commissioning of the upgrade of most of the freeways surrounding Johannesburg and Pretoria is bordering on insanity and has caused major traffic congestion and very dangerous driving conditions and the damage caused to the road surface by the contractors has gone un repaired and unchallenged. This is simply irresponsible, reckless and negligent on the part of the contractors and the Metropolitan Police and, quite frankly, shows exactly where the Metro Police Department’s priorities lie.

We suggest you start off your visit to our site here and then follow the links through the site. Of course, you can also click on any of the navigation buttons at the top of each page.

Please help us spread the word! Tell your friends, family, business associates - everyone - about this site. Maybe they can gain something from it.

There has been quite a bit in the news lately, so you may want to read our News Section.

IMPORTANT UPDATE: Please check our AARTO section. We have clarified quite a bit more and this is a must read!