While Johannesburg and Cape Town residents remain uncertain about the paying of traffic fines online, residents of selected smaller municipalities are able to pay speed camera and 'pink slip` parking fines through the easypay.co.za site.
Confusion about the payment of fines online began after the Johannesburg metro police department issued a warning about paying fines through the Web site efine.co.za.
Prism TranSwitch Services (PTSS) MD Mike Smith, whose company created easypay.co.za, says while the warning has caused some confusion about the payment of fines using EasyPay, PTSS has contracts with various traffic departments, which makes the service legal.
"There is no connection between easypay.co.za and the Internet service efine.co.za. While traffic fines issued by the Johannesburg metro police cannot be paid via EasyPay as yet, PTSS has legal and binding contracts with a number of traffic departments around the country for the payment of camera fines and pink slip fines. As part of the contract, EasyPay guarantees the payment of fines to every department it has an agreement with.
"While we have contracts with the municipalities for the paying of all traffic fines, we are currently only allowing camera fines and pink slip fines to be paid through EasyPay while we are testing the system."
Smith says once the testing phase has been completed, motorists will be able to pay all traffic fines online or at Pick 'n Pay and Shoprite/Checkers outlets as long EasyPay has an agreement with the respective traffic department.
EasyPay has agreements with the traffic departments of Tygerberg and Oostenberg, Emfuleni, George, Hermanus, KwaDukuza (formerly Ballito Bay and Stanger), Klerksdorp, Mafikeng, Potchefstroom, Tzaneen and Witzenberg.
Smith says EasyPay is negotiating with a number of traffic departments including those of Cape Town and Johannesburg.
EasyPay started as a billing service in 1992, enabling people to pay their city municipal rates, water and electricity accounts at any Pick 'n Pay store. The service was later offered at Shoprite stores. About two years ago, it formed a partnership with the Balito Bay town council to expand this service to include traffic fine payments.
It handles nationwide bill payment for the majority of SA local authorities and other bills such as Telkom, Eskom and the SABC, which can also be paid online or at Pick 'n Pay and Shoprite/Checkers outlets.
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