Are you always in a hurry? Fret no more because officers from the City of Cape Town’s safety and security directorate will now be able to fast-track issue notices for traffic and by-law contraventions via an app. Mayoral (Mayco) Committee Member for Safety and Security, JP Smith said the mobile app allows for improved efficiency related to the issuing of contravention and compliance notice.
The digital application allows officers to use the latest technology to be able to improve safety on the roads and in the communities. “This demonstrates the City’s ability to develop advanced mobile applications, which is linked to the City’s emergency, policing incident command system. It’s also about working smarter as officers save time by not having to issue a written notice as the manual notice book is replaced by this device,” Smith added.
The app has scanning capabilities, allowing vehicle license disc and driver’s license scanning and it also has built-in GPS technology that allows for the correct allocation of notices to magisterial areas. The built-in camera will allow the officer to record digital evidence related to the contravention resulting in fewer disputes at court. Additionally, the technology will have appropriate decryption of information to protect public information.
Smith confirmed that the directorate currently has more than 100 devices in operation that have access to the application. The City of Cape Town’s safety and security directorate also envisioned that the city will also roll out 1356 additional devices subject to budgetary provisions. On the other hand, the city is also in the process of developing an app for neighbourhood watches (NW) for community safety.
“Input from NWs is valuable for the development of the app and once it is operational, we envision that this digital tool will increase efficiency, access to services and promote communication between NWs and the City,” Smith concluded.
