WINDHOEK – The Windhoek City Police’s traffic department went out in full force this week visiting workplaces in search of motorists with outstanding traffic fines and warrants of arrest.

The fresh campaign by the traffic department prompted a rush of motorists to the traffic department to settle outstanding fines.
“The warrants of arrest will be [executed] anytime, day or night. Traffic officers will either visit the known residences, work place or when they encounter an offender when on duty,” deputy chief of the  city police Adam Eiseb told New Era.

The deputy chief urged all licensed drivers and motorists to enquire about any outstanding warrants of arrest at the traffic department head office, “for them to prevent being arrested at inconvenient places.”

This week the traffic court at the Windhoek district Magistrate’s Court in the city was full to capacity with offenders, who have been arrested and those who reported themselves to the traffic department.
The City Police did not say how long the campaign would last, besides saying that executing warrants of arrest is not a new operational method for the department.

Eiseb said the new camera system acquired recently has brought about a marked improvement in the execution of warrants of arrest for unpaid traffic fines.

The Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) Camera System link vehicle registration numbers with the traffic database to identify those with warrants of arrest. “After that we will follow the offenders to their work places,” said Eiseb.

Meanwhile, the traffic department has also started enforcing the display of taxi lamps on taxis, despite earlier requests for a grace period by taxi operators. Eiseb said taxi owners operating taxis without a taxi lamp will be arrested.

“We do not want to commit ourselves to [giving more time to taxi operators].  Taxi drivers must be careful. For taxi operators renewing taxi registration certificates, we will make sure that those taxis have taxi lamps fixed permanently,” said Eiseb.

The City Police are seriously concerned about vehicles operating without number plates or vehicle registration plates.
He said those vehicles without number plates will be suspended from using the roads, because police suspect such vehicles are typically being used as get-aways by fleeing criminals.