If you have warrants outstanding, you'll be arrested when you try to renew your licence.
|||Errant drivers with warrants of arrest for traffic fines will soon be prohibited from renewing their car and driving licences.
Under a new plan by the city of Cape Town and the Western Cape government, they also face being arrested on the spot when they apply for either.
Currently drivers with outstanding warrants can renew their licences.
Drivers owe the city millions of rands in outstanding warrants with fines attached.
The provincial department of transport is looking into the move, after being approached by the city council. Municipalities act as agents for provincial governments in issuing licences.
If the move goes through, law enforcement officers will be able to arrest offenders when they arrive at traffic offices to apply for their licences.
JP Smith, the mayoral committee member for safety and security, said the city had given the province a list of top offenders.
This would not apply to motorists who have only outstanding fines.
Smith said the city would have to wait until the driver had failed to pay and been issued with a warrant.
It means anybody with outstanding arrest warrants will be blocked on the Electronic National Administration Traffic Information System.
Smith said: “This process is being set up after approached the provincial transport department to take action.
“Among others, this will include authorising traffic officials to flag people with outstanding warrants on the system through so-called administrative notices, which would prevent them from renewing their licences.
“We would also arrest them if they came in to renew their licenses and there was a warrant out for their arrest.”
Hector Eliott, the head of the provincial transport and public works department, said they were working on drawing up lists from Enatis.
“Once the city has placed an admin mark on a vehicle or driver, any application with that vehicle or person can be suspended until the admin mark has been removed. This is when that person has cleared their outstanding warrants with the city,” said Eliott.
It’s the latest in an increasing clamp-down on Cape Town’s biggest road offenders.
Last year, in a city-wide operation, scores of roadblocks were held to nab drivers with outstanding warrants and recoup money from unpaid fines. Officers also visited the homes of offenders. Only three days after starting the increased clamp-down, the city had reclaimed close to R3 million in outstanding fines. Just over R800 000 from fines with warrants attached was also reclaimed.
As of December, there were 662 677 arrest warrants outstanding for fines worth about R303 million. - Cape Argus