Like so many others Martin Wohlfarter recently received a traffic fine with a picture of him supposedly speeding in a 80km zone on the N1 near the Huguenot tunnel. But upon closer inspection, and triangulating the exact location of his bakkie at the position of an electricity mast and prominent rocks and boulders on the mountain ridge in the background he discovered that the actual point of capture was just after the 100km/hr sign post.
He posted his discovery on social media and was flooded by others detailing the exact same experience. In doing so he might have unknowingly exposed a huge traffic fine scam in the western cape.
After posting photographic proof of his discovery tens of others responded saying they got fined in the exact same location indicating distance markers that were not in the correct zone. Some of the responders were Cantal Carstens; Craven Joubert; An-Ria Schreuder; Louis Cilliers; Klaus Pockpas; Rory Harrison; Pierre Schelhase; Brendon Lottering; Ludwig Churr; Aneska De Jager; Anwar Gallant; Denise Jonkers - all detailing similiar experiences.
Anroux Matthee said he got caught on the exact same spot with his first traffic fine ever. Sebastian Van Niel actually sent the Hassequa municipality an email querying the speed limit validity. They did not respond but gave him a reduction.
According to official Speed Zone Requirements - No prosecution may be instituted where the speed measurement was taken within 300 metres of the commencement of the speed limit zone."
Mr Wohlfarter says that "coming from Huguenot, approaching the Rawsonville turn-off you will enter the 80km/h exactly on this spot - extending for the next 2km or so." Louis Cilliers noted its also the only visible sign as you come out of the pass, and the pass is also 100km/h speed limit..."
According to the social media responders certain areas or municipalities seem to come under suspicion of illegal activity in this regard.
Tasneem Rawoot said they travelled to Knysna and back when they received four fines in succession despite the fact that her husband was sticking to the designated speed limits at all times. Her husband had been driving for years and never received a single fine until now all at once.
Richard Heydenrych says that the George, Riversdale, Knysna areas seem to be a nightmare and clearly running a money making farce.
Kallie Butterworth discovered every traffic light in George literally have a camera after his daughter accumualeted R5200 in fines on a 20km trip daily after moving from Gauteng to George.
Louis Cilliers drove from Cape Town to Mosambique last year in December and did not get a single fine. But when he drove back through Tzaneem to Cape Town he suddenly got 3 fines combined for R1300 at Worcester.
Ashiq Kamish queried a R2000 fine he got in Newlands, driving 30km in a 60km zone. When he went in to query the fine he discovered the fine belonged to a taxi which he doesn't own or drive.
Christine Tatt is disputing a similiar fine on the R44 to Stellenbosch. The picture was taken in a place with a different speed limit and it is clearly visible from where the photo was taken that she was driving in a 100km zone when they claimed her to be speeding in a 80km zone.
Darryl Holmes claims that the traffic department are croocked money grabbers. He has personally seen them taking their own bush to hide behind. The bush was packed in the boot of their vehicle. But in court witnessed them produce a photo showing no bush on that particular spot.
Enrico Thorne have tested his phone GPS in terms of speed to the tracker GPS on his car as well as a Tomtom GPS and all of them indicated around 10km less than the speedometer of his car. He is now unsure which of these gadgets are actually correct.
Sonke Hobbensiefken made an enquiry to VW Germany and was told that a car speedometer can deviate up to 10% from the actual speed, depending on external factors such as tyres.
Tasneem Rawoot was travelling on the pass near Grabouw which was closed at the time, resulting in bumper to bumper traffic. Even though under those conditions speeding was not possible she has just gotten her 5th fine.
Driving in bumper to bumper traffic she is now asking "how on earth can you get a fine for speeding?" In the meanwhile the Hassequa municipality is now under increasing pressure to explain their fines under scrutiny from the public.
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