South African motorists are going to extreme lengths to avoid paying fines – and officials are helping them

In an attempt to avoid paying fines and arrears owed, some South African motorists have gone as far as to transfer ownership of their vehicle to deceased persons, shell entities, fake traffic register numbers, or even random individuals in cahoots with licensing officials.

This was revealed by Ligwa Consulting, which was appointed by the Gauteng government to lead a forensic investigation into allegations of corruption, collusion, and fronting at all Driving Licensing and Testing Centers (DLTCs) in the province.

The investigation is part of the provincial transport department’s (GDoT) goals to “upgrade our licensing function, enhance service quality, and promote smart mobility, but most importantly, contribute to the economic recovery of our province,” said Head of Department Dr Thulani Mdadane.

Alarming discoveries

In addition to motorists going to extreme measures to avoid fines, Ligwa Consulting highlighted numerous alarming discoveries that have become commonplace at many DLTCs in its latest report.

These include:

• Several traffic officials linked to or owning driving schools
• The introduction of the online booking system created lucrative opportunities for “runners,” who act as intermediaries, to profit from the system
• The production, by runners, of fraudulent eye test certificates using registered optometrists’ details and selling these to members of the public
• Registration authority officials offered preferential services to those who did not want to stand in queues in exchange for a fee

Commenting on the report, Mdadane said “It is clear that a comprehensive relook at our licensing system is urgently necessary, if we are indeed serious about rooting out corruption.”

With the impending introduction of new technologies into the licensing system, Mdadane promised that the GDoT will address inefficiencies that lead to long waiting times at licensing offices as well as ensure transparent revenue collection which is expected to put an end to many of these shady practices.

He also committed that the department will work on enhancing road safety by tackling “inadequate training and lenient testing procedures.”