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Question of the Day: Which is the most hair-raising South African mountain pass you've driven?
Cape Town's Ghost Squad
- Thread starter genetic
- Start date
This is one of the older versions with the camera's mounted on the roof... but same system
MisterBigglesworth
Expert Member
Saw a different one yesterday, same colour, make everything...except no antenna on the boot this time. Sitting there waiting too...hehehehe. Oh...saw the lights in the rear window....they were off, but only noticed them cos I was making a point of looking.
patrick
Expert Member
They should have more incognito traffic cops, and have them stop taxis often until they learn to drive.
ChocolateBadger
Expert Member
We have a couple unmarked police cars here in PE too. I spot them easily because of the blue lights that are suck to the front and rear windows. Really easy to spot if you can see through the car, like driving behind them or in your rear view.
I know for sure theres a white polo classic, actually spotted him on Heugh road and saw him bust an old bukkie that didn't have working break lights.
Also saw another unmarked car, can't remember the model but it was like a brownish color, I saw they had tucked the lights in the bottom left of the windscreen.
I know for sure theres a white polo classic, actually spotted him on Heugh road and saw him bust an old bukkie that didn't have working break lights.
Also saw another unmarked car, can't remember the model but it was like a brownish color, I saw they had tucked the lights in the bottom left of the windscreen.
fish_man
Expert Member
Here on the N1 in Worcester they have a white ford ST with CA plates , blue lights are hidden inside the headlamps and rear lights. You can only see them when switched on, car looks sporty and fast, but the guys inside the car wears uniform and always pulls over trucks on the N1.
FiestaST
Honorary Master
Cape Town motorists will be familiar with the Ghost Squad, a specialist Traffic Services unit roaming the Mother City in unmarked vehicles.
These undercover officers are most often seen driving in unmarked Volkswagen Golf GTIs, although one of two more nondescript vehicles have also been used over the years (including Honda motorcycles).
And now, according to the Cape Argus, 11 new vehicles will be added to the undercover fleet, taking the total to around 30 cars.
So, which vehicles have been purchased? Well, while the City of Cape Town is obviously keen to keep the identity of the new cars under wraps, the newspaper report does reveal that all 11 bear the Lexus badge.
“The traffic services department requires higher specification vehicles for chasing perpetrators,” said JP Smith, mayoral committee member for safety and security.
“The department needs to be well resourced with reliable vehicles that will offer maximum efficiency. The vehicles selected through a tender process, were found to be most suitable,” Smith said, according to the Argus.
The newspaper furthermore reported that each new vehicle cost R473 099 after being “fitted with all the accessories to do their job”. It’s an interesting figure, seeing that the Toyota-backed brand’s cheapest vehicle currently on the local new vehicle market is the CT 200h hybrid hatchback, which comes in at a smidgen over R500 000 (and is a highly unlikely candidate for this application).
Clearly, the City managed to secure a good deal for its bulk buy. But which cars has it purchased? The turbocharged IS 200t, perhaps? The under-the-radar ES sedan? The NX crossover, maybe? For now, we can only speculate
http://www.carmag.co.za/news_post/ghost-squad-adds-mystery-lexus-vehicles-to-fleet/
These undercover officers are most often seen driving in unmarked Volkswagen Golf GTIs, although one of two more nondescript vehicles have also been used over the years (including Honda motorcycles).
And now, according to the Cape Argus, 11 new vehicles will be added to the undercover fleet, taking the total to around 30 cars.
So, which vehicles have been purchased? Well, while the City of Cape Town is obviously keen to keep the identity of the new cars under wraps, the newspaper report does reveal that all 11 bear the Lexus badge.
“The traffic services department requires higher specification vehicles for chasing perpetrators,” said JP Smith, mayoral committee member for safety and security.
“The department needs to be well resourced with reliable vehicles that will offer maximum efficiency. The vehicles selected through a tender process, were found to be most suitable,” Smith said, according to the Argus.
The newspaper furthermore reported that each new vehicle cost R473 099 after being “fitted with all the accessories to do their job”. It’s an interesting figure, seeing that the Toyota-backed brand’s cheapest vehicle currently on the local new vehicle market is the CT 200h hybrid hatchback, which comes in at a smidgen over R500 000 (and is a highly unlikely candidate for this application).
Clearly, the City managed to secure a good deal for its bulk buy. But which cars has it purchased? The turbocharged IS 200t, perhaps? The under-the-radar ES sedan? The NX crossover, maybe? For now, we can only speculate
http://www.carmag.co.za/news_post/ghost-squad-adds-mystery-lexus-vehicles-to-fleet/
FiestaST
Honorary Master
Errant drivers, fine dodgers and illegal drag racers should be checking their rear-view mirrors for a new set of unmarked traffic department vehicles that have cost the city more than R5 million.
The 11 Lexus vehicles will bolster the fleet of the city’s elite crime busters, the Ghost Squad, to around 30 cars, as the council challenges its traffic officers to serve and execute as many warrants as possible on Cape Town’s 100 ‘most wanted’ drivers and warrant dodgers during the national transport month of October.
Cape Town motorists are already alert to the Ghost Squad’s unmarked Volkswagen Golf GTIs with CA registration plates, but the recent acquisition of Lexus vehicles will boost their capabilities as the city pulls out all the stops to arrest reckless drivers and warrant evaders this month.
Mayoral committee member for safety and security JP Smith said the city had not consciously chosen to change the model of vehicle used by the Ghost Squad, but the Lexus vehicles proved to be the best value for money in response to an open tender.
Fitted with all the accessories to do their job, the vehicles cost R473 099 each, cheaper than a new Volkswagen Golf GTI.
“The traffic services department requires higher specification vehicles for chasing perpetrators. The department needs to be well-resourced with reliable vehicles that will offer maximum efficiency. The vehicles selected through a tender process, were found to be most suitable,” said Smith.
The cost and choice of vehicle were still more modest than the traffic departments of other metros such as the Johanesburg Metro Police Department and Tshwane Metro Police Department in Pretoria, which had 3 Series and even 5 Series BMWs in their fleets.
The new vehicles would not only boost the Ghost Squad’s fleet, but also assist with easing the challenges brought on by ageing cars.
Smith said transport month warranted special commitment from the city’s traffic service and the city would be stepping up its operations, targeting outstanding warrants, with a particular emphasis on habitual and serious offenders.
The city has challenged its regional traffic directors to see who can serve the most warrants to a list of 100 ‘most-wanted’ drivers.
It will also be conducting intensive operations using the city’s automatic number plate recognition system over the next week.
Outstanding warrants
As part of this initiative, each traffic services district will be handed a list of outstanding warrants in their area - in some cases as many as 1000 - with the aim of executing as many as possible.
Smith said the metro police would also be co-opted into operations.
“There are a significant number of residents in our city who wilfully ignore the traffic fines they accumulate in the belief that these fines will just disappear, or that the city will not follow up.
“In many cases these are the same residents who think that speed limits, parking restrictions, and licensing regulations do not apply to them.”
Drivers who have a double contempt of court warrant, a bench warrant, or more than three warrants against their name where the summonses were personally served, will be arrested immediately.
In other cases, motorists who have outstanding warrants, will be given the option of paying the fine on the spot or be issued with a Section 72 notice to appear in court.
“Much good work has been done to lower the death toll on the roads, which at one point was on par with the number of deaths in the country due to violent crime.
“Unless drivers feel the consequences of their actions, there is a risk that the results we have achieved through raising awareness and enforcement will not be sustained,” said Smith.
He said it was no coincidence the Western Cape currently has the highest rate of paid fines in the country, as well as the lowest accident rate.
Residents with outstanding fines have been encouraged to settle these as soon as possible to avoid further legal action.
http://www.iol.co.za/motoring/industry-news/cape-town-gets-new-ghost-squad-cars-2075228
The 11 Lexus vehicles will bolster the fleet of the city’s elite crime busters, the Ghost Squad, to around 30 cars, as the council challenges its traffic officers to serve and execute as many warrants as possible on Cape Town’s 100 ‘most wanted’ drivers and warrant dodgers during the national transport month of October.
Cape Town motorists are already alert to the Ghost Squad’s unmarked Volkswagen Golf GTIs with CA registration plates, but the recent acquisition of Lexus vehicles will boost their capabilities as the city pulls out all the stops to arrest reckless drivers and warrant evaders this month.
Mayoral committee member for safety and security JP Smith said the city had not consciously chosen to change the model of vehicle used by the Ghost Squad, but the Lexus vehicles proved to be the best value for money in response to an open tender.
Fitted with all the accessories to do their job, the vehicles cost R473 099 each, cheaper than a new Volkswagen Golf GTI.
“The traffic services department requires higher specification vehicles for chasing perpetrators. The department needs to be well-resourced with reliable vehicles that will offer maximum efficiency. The vehicles selected through a tender process, were found to be most suitable,” said Smith.
The cost and choice of vehicle were still more modest than the traffic departments of other metros such as the Johanesburg Metro Police Department and Tshwane Metro Police Department in Pretoria, which had 3 Series and even 5 Series BMWs in their fleets.
The new vehicles would not only boost the Ghost Squad’s fleet, but also assist with easing the challenges brought on by ageing cars.
Smith said transport month warranted special commitment from the city’s traffic service and the city would be stepping up its operations, targeting outstanding warrants, with a particular emphasis on habitual and serious offenders.
The city has challenged its regional traffic directors to see who can serve the most warrants to a list of 100 ‘most-wanted’ drivers.
It will also be conducting intensive operations using the city’s automatic number plate recognition system over the next week.
Outstanding warrants
As part of this initiative, each traffic services district will be handed a list of outstanding warrants in their area - in some cases as many as 1000 - with the aim of executing as many as possible.
Smith said the metro police would also be co-opted into operations.
“There are a significant number of residents in our city who wilfully ignore the traffic fines they accumulate in the belief that these fines will just disappear, or that the city will not follow up.
“In many cases these are the same residents who think that speed limits, parking restrictions, and licensing regulations do not apply to them.”
Drivers who have a double contempt of court warrant, a bench warrant, or more than three warrants against their name where the summonses were personally served, will be arrested immediately.
In other cases, motorists who have outstanding warrants, will be given the option of paying the fine on the spot or be issued with a Section 72 notice to appear in court.
“Much good work has been done to lower the death toll on the roads, which at one point was on par with the number of deaths in the country due to violent crime.
“Unless drivers feel the consequences of their actions, there is a risk that the results we have achieved through raising awareness and enforcement will not be sustained,” said Smith.
He said it was no coincidence the Western Cape currently has the highest rate of paid fines in the country, as well as the lowest accident rate.
Residents with outstanding fines have been encouraged to settle these as soon as possible to avoid further legal action.
http://www.iol.co.za/motoring/industry-news/cape-town-gets-new-ghost-squad-cars-2075228
dualmeister
Honorary Master
Kloofvreter
Honorary Master
Yeah, check Durbanville on a Friday evening. Sitting outside restaurants like Albertos, pulling over people as they climb into their cars 
At the traffic department's parking area it looks like a ghost squad gathering. Probably half their fleet. Next time I drive past I'll take a picture.
At the traffic department's parking area it looks like a ghost squad gathering. Probably half their fleet. Next time I drive past I'll take a picture.
What model Lexus are these? The only Lexus I can think of anywhere near GTi performance is the IS350, which retails for R706k! That would be a hell of a discount if its that car. It means then they have been ripping customers off IMO
FiestaST
Honorary Master
Both articles posted/pasted does mention it was not stated which Lexus models.
"each new vehicle cost R473 099" so we can only speculate what Lexus and/or hefty discount model Lexus it is.
pinball wizard
Honorary Master
Yeah, and considering the cheapest new lexus you can buy is R516k...
Y'all Qaeda
Username approved by US Airforce
Isn't there a 30% import tax on vehicles though? Pretty sure they wouldn't pay that. So at least 30% discount on the R706k price - do they pay VAT on government vehicles? Another 14%.. So can see where the price comes from.
Speculating though not sure about whether they need to pay taxes on these purchases.
Speculating though not sure about whether they need to pay taxes on these purchases.
ToxicBunny
Oi! Leave me out of this...
They do need to pay the taxes....
Anthro
Expert Member
Say hello to my little friend(s)
http://mybroadband.co.za/vb/showthread.php/813838-2017-Lexus-IS?p=17519328&viewfull=1#post17519328
http://mybroadband.co.za/vb/showthread.php/813838-2017-Lexus-IS?p=17519328&viewfull=1#post17519328
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dualmeister
Honorary Master
So they all start with CA 954xxx.
Makes a note
Makes a note
So they all start with CA 954xxx.
Makes a note
+1
SauRoNZA
Honorary Master
The new 2.0T version is 180kw which is pretty close to GTI performance.
****
Actually faster on the sprint.
With its bold presence, the IS 200t displays stunning design, HID lights and a striking Lexus spindle grille.
0-100 km/h
5.9
Max (km/h)
225
CO2 (g/km)
225
rayven_king
Expert Member
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