Six months to correct a ticket

‘‘This ticket is a legal document, but the information is incorrect...’’

Human error was to blame for one motorist’s six month battle to contest an error on a speeding ticket.

Police have now spoken, and apologised, to Julie Way-Fitton for her experience that resulted in emails going unanswered for months and a fine that was transferred to the courts.

The Mangere resident was stopped on Favona Drive on December 7 for allegedly exceeding the speed limit, travelling at 64kmh.

But that’s where her challenge began. Way-Fitton believes she was caught on the side road Savill Dr, with a 50kmh speed limit.

‘‘I was about to turn onto Favona [Rd], then I saw the cop car put its lights on. I’d just seen a 60 sign and I looked at my speedo and thought it wasn’t for me,’’ she says.

But it was. Once she handed over details to the officer, Way-Fitton says it took about 15 minutes to confirm her details.

She claims the officer said ‘‘your eyes are playing tricks on you’’ in response to Way-Fitton’s challenge about seeing signage.

The police officer didn’t give her a ticket on the road side or tell her about how much the fine was for or how many demerits she would get.

After asking for the officer’s name, Way-Fitton was then told she was being ‘‘done’’ for noncompliance with two tail lights out on her car.

‘‘I didn’t know they were out ... but fair enough, it was at night so I wouldn’t be able to buy new bulbs until morning.’’

Then when she asked what the fine would be, she was told ‘‘all will be revealed in the post’’.

Two weeks later, her $80 speeding ticket and $150 compliance arrived in the post. It stated she exceeded the speed limit by 11-15kmh on Favona Rd with 20 demerit points.

Way-Fitton was unaware police procedure had changed months earlier. Infringement notices are now mailed out, not given at the roadside.

She had already emailed police on December 8 asking to clarify police procedure. That email had still gone unanswered.

Other emails included a request to correct the fine and to hear it in court.

Then, in March with no reminder notice a $110 court fine notice arrived.

‘‘I’ve been told this ticket is a legal document, but the information is incorrect ... going by this, I haven’t gone over the speed limit by what it says.’’