XN000022-1989-02-02 — Page 3

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 2, 1989

2

EXCO APPROVES INCREASE IN FIXED PENALTY FINES

**

THE EXECUTIVE COUNCIL HAS APPROVED IN PRINCIPLE AN INCREASE IN FIXED PENALTY FINES FOR PARKING OFFENCES AND MOST MOVING TRAFFIC OFFENCES, EFFECTIVE FROM JULY 1 THIS YEAR.

THE PROPOSED INCREASE IS SUBJECT TO APPROVAL BEING GIVEN BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL LATER THIS MONTH.

UNDER THE PROPOSAL, THE FIXED PENALTY FOR PARKING OFFENCES WILL BE INCREASED FROM $140 TO $200.

THE FIXED PENALTY LEVELS FOR MOVING TRAFFIC OFFENCES WILL BE RAISED FROM $140 TO $200 AND FROM $200 TO $280.

HOWEVER, THE ABOVE INCREASES WILL NOT APPLY TO TWO SPECIFIC MOVING OFFENCES OVERLOADING AND COMPULSORY WEARING OF SEAT BELTS.

THE FIXED PENALTY FOR AN OVERLOADING OFFENCE WILL BE INCREASED FROM $200 TO $450.

THE FIXED PENALTY FOR DRIVING PRIVATE CARS, TAXIS, LIGHT BUSES AND GOODS VEHICLES IN WHICH THE FRONT SEAT PASSENGER HAS FAILED TO FASTEN A SEAT BELT WILL BE $140.

ON THE GENERAL RISE IN FIXED PENALTY FINES, A GOVERNMENT SPOKESMAN SAID THE INCREASE WAS NECESSARY TO RESTORE THE DETERRENT VALUE TO THE FINES AND TO CONTAIN THE UPWARD TREND IN THE ISSUR OF FIXED PENALTY TICKETS.

ISSUED FOR

OVERLOADING

THE NUMBER OF FIXED PENALTY TICKETS OFFENCES HAD RISEN SIGNIFICANTLY, FROM 1,644 IN 1985 ΤΟ 26,796 LAST YEAR.

A SIGNIFICANT INCREASE IN PENALTY WAS THE OVERLOADING OFFENCE BECAUSE IT HAD IMPLICATIONS AND CAUSED MUCH DAMAGE TO ROADS, THE SPOKESMAN SAID.

THEREFORE PROPOSED FOR SERIOUS ROAD SAFETY

REGARDING THE OFFENCE OF DRIVING A VEHICLE WHEN THE FRONT SEAT PASSENGER WAS NOT SECURELY FASTENED WITH A SEAT BELT, THE SPOKESMAN NOTED THAT THE TRANSPORT ADVISORY COMMITTEE HAD ADVISED THAT THE FIXED PENALTY SHOULD BE LOWER THAN THAT OF DRIVING A VEHICLE WHEN THR DRIVER HIMSELF WAS NOT SECURELY FASTENED WITH A SEAT BELT.

THIS WAS BECAUSE IT SHOULD BE THE FRONT SEAT PASSENGER AND THE DRIVER WHO WAS PRIMARILY RESPONSIBLE FOR THE OFFENCE.

NOT

AS SUCH, THE EXECUTIVE COUNCIL HAD GIVEN ITS ENDORSEMENT TO THE FIXED PENALTY BEING $140 INSTEAD OF $200.

POLICE

RECORDS, THE

THE SPOKESMAN SAID THAT ACCORDING ΤΟ NUMBER OF FIXED PENALTY TICKETS ISSUED FOR PARKING OFFENCES HAD

FALLEN STEADILY FOR THREE YEARS SINCE THE FROM $70 TO $140 IN 1983.

FIXED PENALTY WAS RAISED

THE NUMBER