A wanted taxi driver who has 50 warrants of arrest has been nabbed thanks to the City’s Automated Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) technology in Parow.
Mayco member for safety and security, JP Smith, says the Transport Enforcement Unit officer landed a big fish on Tuesday morning.
He says the taxi driver, who is from Elsies River, was flagged after the system alerted the traffic cops about the number plate.
“At approximately 9.40am, the officer’s in-vehicle camera flagged a minibus taxi in Voortrekker Road, Parow, after scanning the number plate on a minibus taxi.
He pulled over the driver, and after running his ID number, discovered that he has 50 outstanding warrants, totalling R132 550.”
Smith says on further investigations they found that the driver has outstanding fines not yet in summons stage, totalling R241 750 and an an overall tally of R374 300.
The 24-year-old driver was arrested, and his vehicle impounded, as he did not have a valid operating licence.
“We speak often of people who have no regard for law and order. This would be one such example.
“These numbers are absolutely staggering – can you imagine how many transgressions one would have to commit in a short space of time to rack up that amount in fines?
“On the upside, this is also an example of how we are putting technology to use to catch law-breakers.
“We issue repeated warnings to road users about staying in the right lane … let this serve as a reminder to scofflaws that they are not untraceable,’ says Smith.