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SUNDAY, AUGUST 12, 1984
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HOWEVER, SUPT HUMPHREYS DOES ADVISE TRAFFIC TICKET RECIPIENTS TO PAY UP FIRST AND THEN APPEAL, THE REASON BEING THAT IT TAKES LONGER FOR THE APPEAL TO BE CONSIDERED THAN THE TIME ALLOWED FOR A TICKET RECIPIENT TO PAY HIS FIXED FINE. IF THE FINE IS NOT PAID WITHIN THE STATED TIME THEN A SUMMONS IS AUTOMATICALLY ISSUED AGAINST THE MOTORIST.
THE CENTRAL TRAFFIC PROSECUTIONS UNIT HANDLES 120 000 TICKETS A MONTH - THAT'S 1.4 MILLION A YEAR, BESIDES HAVING OTHER WORK SUCH AS COURT PROSECUTIONS TO DEAL WITH.
TO COPE THEY HAVE TO RESORT TO COMPUTERS AND THE UNIT HAS SOME OF THE FASTEST DATA PROCESSORS IN THE TERRITORY. SUPT HUMPHREYS SAID THAT SOME OF HIS GIRLS ARE CAPABLE OF 20 000 KEY DEPRESSIONS PER HOUR WHEN OPERATING THEIR MACHINES,
HE COMMENTED: "IT'S A FANTASTIC RATE REALLY WHEN YOU CONSIDER THAT THEY ARE WORKING FROM HASTILY WRITTEN TICKETS THAT IN SOME CASES ARE ALMOST ILLEGIBLE.''
DESPITE THE HIGH RATE OF INPUT THE GIRLS HAVE A VERY LOW PERCENTAGE OF ERROR.
WITH SUCH A MOUNTAIN OF WORK THE UNIT COULD BE FORGIVEN FOR IGNORING APPEALS BY MOTORISTS, BUT THAT IS NOT THE CASE.
''WE GET ABOUT 3 000 PHONE CALLS A MONTH AND UP TO 2 500 LETTERS FROM PEOPLE WHO THINK THEY SHOULD NOT HAVE BEEN GIVEN A TICKET. MANY OF THEM CONCERN PARKING METERS WHICH ARE NOT WORKING PROPERLY.
''CHECKING UP ON THEM MEANS A LOT OF WORK AND TAKES TIME SO IT MAY BE SEVERAL WEEKS BEFORE A DECISION IS REACHED. WE HAVE SEVEN INSPECTORS AND SENIOR INSPECTORS WORKING FULL TIME CHECKING UP ON THESE COMPLAINTS.'
SUPT HUMPHREYS'S ADVICE TO MOTORISTS RECEIVING TRAFFIC TICKETS IS "IF YOU KNOW IN YOUR HEART OF HEARTS YOU HAVE COMMITTED AN OFFENCE THEN PAY UP WITHIN DUE TIME.
IF YOU WISH TO DISPUTE THE FACTS THEN FILL IN THE SLIP ON THE TICKET AND RETURN IT TO US AND A SUMMONS TO APPEAR IN COURT WILL FOLLOW.
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''BUT IF YOU THINK YOU HAVE BEEN HARSHLY TEATED AND THERE IS SOMETHING NOT QUITE FAIR ABOUT THE TICKET, SEND IN YOUR TICKET, WITH A CHEQUE FOR THE FIXED PENALTY AMOUNT AND A LETTER OUTLINING THE FACTS.
''YOUR CASE WILL BE LOOKED INTO AND IF THE FACTS WARRANT IT THE TICKET WILL BE CANCELLED AND YOUR MONEY WILL BE REFUNDED.'' SUPT HUMPHREYS SAID THAT ABOUT 6 000 COMPLAINTS AND ENQUIRIES EACH MONTH RESULTED IN ABOUT 1 000 TICKETS BEING CANCELLED.
BUT AS HE EXPLAINED 'VERY FEW OF THOSE PEOPLE WHOSE TICKETS WE CANCEL EVER BOTHER TO SAY THANK-YOU.''
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