A-G Report into KZN Transport Department reveals that traffic infringements have not been captured since 2019
13 October 2021
The Auditor-General (AG) Report into KwaZulu-Natal’s Department of Transport - tabled during a Scopa meeting on Monday - has revealed horrific discrepancies within the province’s Road Traffic Inspectorate (RTI), with traffic infringements not captured since 2019.
The situation has been attributed to the Department’s change to a new OPUS traffic management system. According to the RTI’s Accounting Officer, the Department reported R465 million in revenue. However, the AG believes that this was understated by R157 million.
The RTI previously operated under the Trafman system but moved to the OPUS system in May 2020. The move was aimed at ensuring that traffic infringements were captured more efficiently. At the time that the Opus system went live, there was a declaration by all RTI station commanders confirming their commitment to the project.
It is now evident that these were just hollow pledges since the very individuals responsible for ensuring traffic infringements were properly recorded are clearly disinterested. This despite the fact that this is a revenue-based project and – most importantly – that it would also mean more law-abiding drivers on our province’s roads.