Speed cameras on 15 July 2022 in Soweto. Picture: Gallo Images/Fani Mahuntsi Two days before Christmas last year, the City of Johannesburg lost all of its speed cameras, and enforcement of speed limits by the Joburg Metro Police Department (JMPD) using cameras remains at a complete standstill. This not only means that motorists can speed with impunity on Joburg’s roads – it also represents a potentially significant loss of revenue for the metro.
Three sources with close knowledge of the matter have independently confirmed to Moneyweb that the metro’s contract with Syntell, which provided the cameras and back-office system to process fines, lapsed on 23 December and no replacement has yet been appointed. Syntell took its cameras with it, and the JMPD does not have any of its own. JMPD spokesperson Superintendent Xolani Fihla failed to respond to questions in this regard, save for acknowledging receipt.
The sources, who asked not to be named due to the positions they occupy, say Syntell also used to upload other traffic fines as well as fines stemming from by-law enforcement. Apparently hand-written traffic fines are now being uploaded by department heads, but these have historically represented only a small portion of the total number of fines issued by the JMPD. Of those, 3.1 million were based on speed camera images. In January last year alone, the JMPD issued 277 705 camera fines.
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