- Plan to ban interstate drivers from NSW roads in bid to recover $30 million in parking and traffic fines
- By JIM O’ROURKE
- 31/05/2014 Make a Comment
- Contributed by: MrNatural ( 27 articles in 2014 )
INTERSTATE drivers, who have racked up 129,000 overdue parking and traffic fines worth $30 million, could be banned from NSW roads until they pay up.
One Brisbane man has received 267 parking, traffic and toll evasion fines in NSW, totalling more than $45,000.
A woman from the Gold Coast has been hit with 182 separate parking fines in NSW over a 13-year period, worth more than $18,000.
Now, as part of changes to the NSW Fines Act, Roads and Maritime Services can withdraw interstate motorists’ visitor driving privileges if they have two or more outstanding parking or traffic fines in the state.
As part of a campaign to get interstate drivers to pay up, the NSW Office of State Revenue (OSR) will set debt collectors on to them if their fines are outstanding for more than 60 days.
Under road transport legislation, residents of another state are allowed to drive in NSW even though they do not hold a NSW driver's licence.
An OSR spokesman said it was now possible for these privileges to be suspended by RMS when the visiting driver had two or more unpaid fines for traffic or parking offences.
“Interstate drivers currently have 129,000 overdue parking or traffic fines issued in NSW — worth $30.8 million,” the spokesman said.
“Withdrawal of visitor driving privileges is one of the options available to OSR to resolve overdue fines.
“The suspension of driving privileges remains in place until the driver resolves the unpaid debt or OSR directs Roads and Maritime Services to remove the suspension.”
The spokesman said all interstate fines outstanding for longer than 60 days were being sent to debt collection agencies.
Changes to the Act also allow NSW to enter into arrangements with fine-enforcement agencies in other states so the NSW fine can be enforced and collected in the driver’s home state.
“The Office of State Revenue is working to reduce the number of overdue fines owed by interstate residents, including implementing time-to-pay arrangements, referrals to external debt partners and licence suspensions (where the person resides interstate but holds a NSW licence),” the OSR spokesman said.
During debate in October last year on change to the Fines Act Parliament was told that, on average, interstate residents accrued more than 60,000 fines in NSW each year, of which more than 40,000 remain unpaid after 12 months.
The then finance minister, now Treasurer Andrew Constance, told parliament: “People who have accumulated debts in this state should pay what they owe. This is money the people of NSW should get back and these changes will help ensure more of this money is collected — money that can be invested in services and infrastructure.”
One Brisbane man has received 267 parking, traffic and toll evasion fines in NSW, totalling more than $45,000.
A woman from the Gold Coast has been hit with 182 separate parking fines in NSW over a 13-year period, worth more than $18,000.
Now, as part of changes to the NSW Fines Act, Roads and Maritime Services can withdraw interstate motorists’ visitor driving privileges if they have two or more outstanding parking or traffic fines in the state.
As part of a campaign to get interstate drivers to pay up, the NSW Office of State Revenue (OSR) will set debt collectors on to them if their fines are outstanding for more than 60 days.
Under road transport legislation, residents of another state are allowed to drive in NSW even though they do not hold a NSW driver's licence.
An OSR spokesman said it was now possible for these privileges to be suspended by RMS when the visiting driver had two or more unpaid fines for traffic or parking offences.
“Interstate drivers currently have 129,000 overdue parking or traffic fines issued in NSW — worth $30.8 million,” the spokesman said.
“Withdrawal of visitor driving privileges is one of the options available to OSR to resolve overdue fines.
“The suspension of driving privileges remains in place until the driver resolves the unpaid debt or OSR directs Roads and Maritime Services to remove the suspension.”
The spokesman said all interstate fines outstanding for longer than 60 days were being sent to debt collection agencies.
Changes to the Act also allow NSW to enter into arrangements with fine-enforcement agencies in other states so the NSW fine can be enforced and collected in the driver’s home state.
“The Office of State Revenue is working to reduce the number of overdue fines owed by interstate residents, including implementing time-to-pay arrangements, referrals to external debt partners and licence suspensions (where the person resides interstate but holds a NSW licence),” the OSR spokesman said.
During debate in October last year on change to the Fines Act Parliament was told that, on average, interstate residents accrued more than 60,000 fines in NSW each year, of which more than 40,000 remain unpaid after 12 months.
The then finance minister, now Treasurer Andrew Constance, told parliament: “People who have accumulated debts in this state should pay what they owe. This is money the people of NSW should get back and these changes will help ensure more of this money is collected — money that can be invested in services and infrastructure.”
Source: https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/nsw/plan-to-ban-interstate-drivers-from-nsw-roads-in-bid-to-recover-30-million-in-parking-and-traffic-fines/story-fni0cx12-1226937861849
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