WEDNESDAY, JUNE 10, 1981
2.
'FIXED TRAFFIC PENALTY SYSTEM SAVES COURT TIME'
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THE FIXED PENALTY SYSTEMS FOR ILLEGAL PARKING AND FOR MINOR TRAFFIC OFFENCES HAVE MADE IT MUCH EASIER TO PROSECUTE THE LARGE NUMBER OF MOTORISTS WHO COMMIT THESE CONTRAVENTIONS WHILE SAVING THE TIME OF THE COURTS AND THUS, AMONG OTHER THINGS, AVOIDING UNDUE WASTE OF PUBLIC TIME AND MONEY. THE SECRETARY FOR THE ENVIRONMENT, THE HON DEREK JONES SAID IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY.
IN 1980 SOME 1 600 000 TICKETS WERE ISSUED FOR THESE OFFENCES AND ABOUT $100 MILLION IN REVENUE WAS COLLECTED, HE SAID, REPLYING TO A QUESTION FROM THE HON CHARLES YEUNG.
THE SYSTEM IS QUITE EFFICIENT AND ON AVERAGE JUST OVER 90 PER CENT OF THE TICKETS ISSUED FOR PARKING CONTRAVENT IONS AND ABOUT 99 PER CENT OF THOSE ISSUED FOR MOVING TRAFFIC OFFENCES ARE PAID.
+THIS RECORD IS, INDEED, VERY GOOD COMPARED WITH SIMILAR SYSTEMS IN OPERATION IN SOME OTHER COUNTRIES. IN THE UNITED KINGDOM, FOR INSTANCE, ONLY ABOUT A THIRD OF ALL FIXED PENALTY PARKING TICKETS ARE PAID, HE SAID,
NEVERTHELESS, THE MINORITY WHO IGNORE FIXED PENALTY TICKETS AND WHO ARE THEN AUTOMATICALLY TAKEN TO COURT, CAN CAUSE LENGTHY AND COSTLY PROCEEDINGS BEFORE THE IR FINES ARE COLLECTED. THIS HAS LED TO CRITICISM BY THE DIRECTOR OF AUDIT AND THE PUBLIC ACCOUNTS COMMITTEE AND RESULTED IN THE SETTING UP OF A WORKING PARTY TO EXAMINE POSSIBLE SHORTCOMINGS IN THE SYSTEM.
THE RECOMMENDATIONS OF THIS WORKING PARTY, WHICH INVOLVE CHANGES IN THE LEGISLATION TO ENCOURAGE EARLIER PAYMENTS OF FIXED PENALTY FINES, WILL BE SUBMITTED TO THE GOVERNOR IN COUNCIL FOR CONSIDERATION WITHIN THE NEXT FEW WEEKS, HE SAID.
MR JONES ALSO SAID THAT THE GOVERNMENT HAD CONSIDERED THE POSSIBILITY OF EXTENDING THE FIXED PENALTY SYSTEM TO OTHER MINOR OFFENCES SUCH AS LITTERING, BUT HAD CONCLUDED, THAT THIS WOULD NOT BE DESIRABLE.
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