7/27/2006
South Africa: 37,000 Invalid Speed Camera Tickets IssuedThe government of Cape Town, South Africa has declared 37,000 speed camera tickets invalid.
The Directorate of Public Prosecutions in Cape Town, South Africa has invalidated 37,000 speed camera tickets issued since 2004 between Cape Town and Helderberg. The private contractor that operates the photo ticketing system, Labat Traffic Solutions, sent out collection notices for the tickets, despite not having the authority to do so.
Labat issued the citations more than a year-and-a-half from the date of the alleged offense, in violation of the policy set by government prosecutors. Prosecutors now advise motorists not to pay any fine with a 2004 date, all of which have "908" in the serial number at the top center of the ticket. The city council is now investigating Labat's practices.
The latest ticket fiasco comes on top of last year's invalidation of 44,000 illegally speed camera tickets.