Knysna traffic fines are a debatable affair

Only 30% of Knysna’s traffic fines are being paid, according to Dawie Adonis, the Director of Community Services. This revelation was made at the Section 80 Finance Committee Meeting held this morning, March 10 2015.

Although the past financial year tallied R13.9-million in traffic fines, the operational expense of the intended Municipal Court was called into question after Councillor Ray Barrell pointed out that the Knysna Municipality was only expected to gain R812 250 when looking, as an example, at the 1963 fines that weren’t processed 2012 through to 2015 whilst the annual costs for the new court were expected to be R 1 144 509. Barrell said that, “We need to know that we’re not going to spend more than we’re going to receive.”

Councillor Esme Edge said that fine figures can be low as there was a automatic reduction period of 30 days if applied for and prosecutors often dropped them thereafter. She suggested that we look for advice from Mossel Bay who had a successful program running.

Corporate Services Director Bevan Ellman pointed out that the court would “bring in a lot of money from other by-laws we’re not enforcing.”. Councillor Elrick van Aswegen enthusiastically agreed wioth him. Their point was extremely valid as Knysna’s many by-laws have no teeth and almost nothing is being collected.. The new court would give local law enforcement and officials bite.

Adonis stated, “I need to go back to the figures.”

PS: This does not include fines on provincial roads which act within the Knysna Municipality.