Article from: www.thenewspaper.com/news/30/3049.asp

2/13/2010

Washington, South Africa: Bogus Speed Camera Tickets Issued
Tacoma, Washington and Johannesburg, South Africa both issue bogus speed camera tickets.

A speed camera in Tacoma, Washington issued tickets to motorists who were driving the correct speed limit in a school zone. Redflex Traffic Systems, the Australian company in charge of the program, installed the automated ticketing machine last month on Pacific Avenue near Stewart Middle School in an area where the speed limit is lowered from 30 MPH to 20 MPH when the school zone warning lights flashed. As the Tacoma News-Tribune reported, the camera issued tickets to vehicles traveling at the legal speed of 30 MPH when the lights were not flashing. Officials admitted the error and claim that they have corrected the problem, but the burden is on vehicle owners who received a ticket for driving the speed limit to take time off work to file a court challenge.

In Johannesburg, South Africa, Metro police were forced to refund tickets issued by a speed camera that had been positioned in an unauthorized area on Gordon Road in Roodepoort. All ticketing locations require prior approval from the local prosecutor under the laws governing the use of the ticketing machines.

"The traffic department will reimburse motorists for any fines from illegal speed cameras after going through the fines which were paid as a result," police spokesman Wayne Minnaar told Jacaranda Radio.

Officials take the mistake seriously and are going to great lengths to cancel any outstanding fines issued at the locations.