Irish motorists face on-the-spot traffic fines in Britain

Seán McCárthaigh

The British Department of Transport is planning to introduce legislation to compel foreign motorists guilty of speeding and parking offences to pay up instantly in order to reduce the large number of non-national drivers who fail to pay traffic fines.

Similar schemes already exist in several European countries including Germany, Austria, France and the Netherlands.

A spokesperson for the British Department of Transport said it was envisaged that such a scheme - which is likely to begin next year - would only apply to commercial vehicles initially. Anyone with a resident’s address in Britain will not be obliged to pay an on-the-spot fine. It is understood precise measures on how to deal with a refusal or inability to pay by foreign drivers are still under consideration.

The proposals were yesterday given a generally positive welcome by the Irish Road Haulage Association (IRHA).

“Anything is better than the system which operates currently whereby Irish drivers can get arrested and hauled off to a police cell for a minor traffic offence,” said IRHA spokesman, Jimmy Quinn.

He claimed it was almost standard practice that foreign drivers caught for speeding offences were subjected to delays which often proved highly costly for haulage firms through missed ferry connections and late delivery times.

Mr Quinn said he was also aware of several incidents of Irish lorry drivers being arrested in Fishguard due to the non-payment of outstanding fines from previous visits to Britain. “It’s much better that we will be able to pay on the spot and go about our business straight away,” said Mr Quinn.

Meanwhile, the Garda Síochána has issued a tender for a debt collector to manage the collection of fines imposed under the penalty points scheme. Gardaí and local authorities acknowledge there is a particular problem with the number of drivers from Northern Ireland who refuse to pay parking and speeding fines incurred in the Republic.

One debt collection company employed by several local authorities estimates it saves its clients around €450,000 per annum. A 1998 report by the Comptroller & Auditor General estimated that over one-third of all on-the-spot fine notices were not paid.