Getting stopped by traffic police and being issued a traffic ticket for violating traffic rules is part of being a driver. These traffic offenses and infringements may include minor cases like failure to stop a vehicle on command of a patrol officer, driving a car with an expired license to complex ones such as over speeding to cause an accident, resulting in fatalities.
All these traffic offenses attract fines in South Africa. If you have ever been found violating the traffic rules as stipulated in the National Road Traffic Act, among other road safety legislations, you understand the hassle of paying the fine through old methods like cash which is racked with delays due to the vexations of long queues in the traffic department.
This has been pointed out as the main reason traffic offenders fail to pay their traffic fines to the South African government. For instance, the largest metros like Johannesburg, Capetown, and Durban owe more than R5 billion in overdue traffic fines.
However, in the past few years, many motorists have been paying their traffic fines before their respective due dates, thanks to the technology which has led to the innovation of convenient ways of paying traffic fines online in South Africa.
The rolling out of the automated Administrative Adjudication of Road Traffic Offences (AARTO) system, and consecutively, online payments of traffic fines has made the process fast, efficient, and cost-effective as it has also reduced the operational costs of the compliance authority Road Traffic Infringement Agency (RTIA).
In this article, we will discuss how traffic fines work in South Africa, types of traffic fines, and how to make online payments for traffic tickets:
How traffic fines work in South Africa
South Africa is a country that loves to drive. According to a report by the electronic National Administration Traffic Information System (eNatis), there are over 12,027,860 registered vehicles in the country as of 2017.
It is a good thing as it provides unmatched transport flexibility aside from creating numerous employment opportunities and boosting the economy. Even so, over 10,000 people die every year as a result of road accidents in South Africa.
This has prompted traffic departments to put in strict measures to suppress road infractions and violations. Some established initiatives include introducing the Point Demerit System, whereby a driver is allocated points on a scale of 1 to 12 based on traffic violations. When one reaches 12 points, their license or operator’s card is revoked and suspended.
The other course of action is fine payment, in which a driver is required to pay a specific amount of money depending on infringements. How do traffic fines work in South Africa?
1. Infringement notice
When you violate traffic rules, you will be stopped by a traffic officer and issued a handwritten notice. On the other hand, an electronically generated notice is mailed to you by eNatis on camera infringements, and you are required to pay the fine as set out in the note.
If you pay the fine within the first 32 days, you are subject to a 50% discount.
2. Courtesy letter
If you fail to pay the required fine within the first 32 days, a courtesy letter will be mailed to you. At this point, the fine amount and administration fees are applicable, and failure to settle them will lead to the issuance of an Enforcement Order.
3. Enforcement Order
After failing to comply with the courtesy letter, an Enforcement Order will be presented to you for defaulting the penalty reminder notice, and you will have 32 days to pay out the fine lest you get a Warrant of Execution.
Your driving license, permit, and other road certifications will be revoked, and it will be a crime if you drive any car in South Africa.
4. Warrant of Execution
After transgressing the four steps, the Sheriffs will hand you a Warrant of Execution from the Magistrate’s Court or the registrar of the Supreme Court, authorizing the seizure of your property to raise an amount sufficient to cover the traffic fine.
This may include a permanent ban on your driving license and listing on the credit bureaus (CRBs).
Types of traffic fines in South Africa
There are two types of traffic fines in South Africa;
* Section 341 fine – What is Section 341 fine traffic fine? It is a traffic fine issued on minor violations caught on camera. They include packing offenses, and an infringement notice is left on the windscreen or mailed to the offender.
* Section 56 fine – What is Section 56 traffic fine? It is a fine imposed when a driver is flagged down by a traffic officer while driving for violations like reckless driving, expired licenses, driving an unregistered vehicle, absence of a roadworthy certificate, and more. One is issued an infringement notice and demanded to pay the stated fine within 32 days.
How to pay traffic fines online in South Africa
After being given an infringement notice and asked to pay a traffic fine, your biggest question is, ‘how can I pay a traffic fine online in South Africa?’ But you don’t have to worry. Everything is now seamless due to various payment methods that facilitate online transactions to the traffic departments.
Here is how to pay South African traffic fines online:
Pay traffic fine online: EasyPay
1. Visit new.easypay.co.za
2. Login with your phone number and password
3. On the left menu, click ‘Traffic Fines’
4. Enter Traffic Fine Number and the Fine Reference
5. Click ‘Submit’
6. The outstanding fine will be debited from your EasyPay account
Pay traffic fine online: FNB app
1. Log into the FNB app with your username and password
2. Choose ‘Nav-igate Life’
3. Tap on ‘Car’
4. Click ‘My Fines’
5. Select the fines you would wish to pay for
6. Confirm the selected fines to proceed with payment
7. Choose the FNB account you would wish to pay from
8 Click on the ‘Pay’ option
9. Select ‘Finish’ to complete the traffic fines payment
Pay traffic fine online: FNB online banking
1. Visit www.fnb.co.za
2. Login with your username and password
3. On the homepage screen, select ‘Payments’
4. Go to the ‘Traffic Fines’ option
5. Enter the traffic fine notice number or your ID to pay fines
6. On the displayed traffic fine, select ‘Pay’
7. Choose an FNB account to pay from
8. Review the details and select ‘Confirm’ to authorize the transaction
Pay traffic fine online: FNB cellphone banking
1. On your phone, dial *120*321#
2. Go to the ‘Banking’ option
3. On the Banking menu, go to 4 – Payments
4. Go to option 6 – Traffic Fine
5. Enter the reference number of the fine to pay
6. Choose the payment account
7. Review payment information as displayed on the screen and select ‘Confirm’
You will receive a message if your payment was successful.
Pay traffic fine online: Standard Bank
1. Visit www.standardbank.co.za
2. On the top menu, select ‘Transact’
3. Tap on ‘Pay’ and select ‘Traffic Fines.’ Traffic fines liked with your ID will be automatically displayed
4. Tick the box of the individual or multiple fines that you want to pay
5. Select the account to pay for the traffic fines
6. Select your payment notification method – email or SMS
7. Click ‘Next’ to confirm the payment details
8. Enter the OTP sent via email or SMS
9. Pay
If the transaction is successful or unsuccessful, it will be displayed on the screen.
Pay traffic fine online: Absa Bank
1. Logon to Absa online banking platform
2. Select ‘Transact’ from the side navigation.
3. Select ‘Traffic fines’ ‘under Transact option
4. Enter the reference number on your traffic fine
5. Confirm the details
6. Make payments
Conclusion: Paying for your traffic fines in South Africa is now easy, thanks to online payment platforms like FNB, Absa, EasyPay, and Standard Bank. This is a guide on how to pay your traffic fines online. Ensure you pay them on time to enjoy a 50% discount and to avoid extra penalties that may lead to driving license suspension.
