The eFine.co.za Web site, which pays traffic fines on behalf of members of the public, has run afoul of the Metro Police Department, which is investigating the company for paying traffic fines illegally.
However, eFine says it has been operating the service for over a year and is not receiving the fines, but paying them on behalf of motorists.
Metro chief superintendent Wayne Minnaar says only a person appointed by a magistrate may receive payment for a traffic fine. "If the staff of eFine have not received permission from a court to pay traffic fines on behalf of members of the public, then the operation is illegal as only people appointed by the courts can pay traffic fines," says Minnaar.
In a warning issued yesterday, Minaar said the traffic department had no contract or links to eFine and therefore there was no guarantee that fines would be paid. Minaar said if a fine was not paid, or if a summons to appear in court for a traffic offence were ignored, a warrant of arrest would be issued.
eFine.co.za CEO Adriaan Botha says he disagrees with Minnaar`s comments as the company is currently negotiating a potential partnership with senior officials in the Metro Police Department.
"We have been in discussion with the metro police and the mayor`s office about the possibility of the metro police using our technology for the seamless payments of fines over the Internet. Now they are investigating us."
Botha rejects Minnaar`s claim that the Web site`s service is illegal. "We aren`t doing anything illegal. We are paying fines on behalf of members of the public who are unable to do it and have provided the metro police with over R750 000 in fine [payments] over the last year. While our negotiations haven`t been concluded as yet for the seamless payment of fines, we don`t believe the service we are currently providing to both the public and the Metro Police Department is an illegal one."
He says eFine has been flooded by enquiries from members of the public wanting to know if they are still able to pay their traffic fines through the Web site after the police warning against paying traffic fines online. However, Botha says as far as eFines is concerned, it is business as usual.
Metro police director of operations and programs Derrick Masoek says the department is engaged in discussions with eFine to use technology the company has developed in its E-Metropolicing project to enable members of the public to pay fines over the Internet.
"eFine will have to partner with us in the payment of traffic fines because fines can only be received by a law enforcement agency, " Masoek says.
"We will be submitting our proposal for the E-Metropolicing project to the Johannesburg City Council in July. We will then approach the justice department for approval of the paying of fines over the Internet," Masoek says.
eFine.co.za has been paying fines on behalf of its clients to the Metro Police Department for over a year. Once payment for a fine is received over the Internet, the money is then paid to the metro police within five working days. A receipt is e-mailed to the client on request and the site is updated showing which fines have been paid. The site charges on average 5% of the fine for the service.
The company also operates speedtraps.co.za, a site that informs motorists about the location of speed cameras.
Share