- Overdue traffic ticket fines unconstitutional: lawmaker
- 28/03/2009 Make a Comment
- Contributed by: Rodger ( 1 article in 2009 )
TAIPEI, Taiwan -- Extra fines for overdue traffic tickets are unconstitutional, a lawmaker noted yesterday.
Violators will currently be slapped with extra hefty fines for tickets they fail to settle by the deadline, Legislator Kuang Bi-ling from the main opposition Democratic Progressive Party said.
Driving without a license will warrant an NT$3,600 fine, which will almost double to NT$6,000 30 days past the deadline, and triple to NT$18,000 after 60 days, Kuang said, citing one example.
But the legislator cited a grand justices' ruling in dismissing such punitive fines as unconstitutional.
Environmental authorities used to impose extra fines on polluters for overdue tickets, but the Council of Grand Justices ruled that the law only punishes acts of pollution without authorizing penalty for delays, Kuang said.
The same argument is also applicable to the traffic regulations, and therefore the extra fines for overdue traffic tickets are unconstitutional, she said during a question-and-answer session with Cabinet officials.
She estimated that NT$3.6 billion to NT$4.28 billion in such extra punitive fines would be imposed on violators this year.
The legislator demanded that Premier Liu Chao-shiuan and transportation authorities remedy the situation.
As the law does not authorize the punitive fines, Liu said the transport ministry will study the issue.
Transport minister Mao Chi-kuo said his ministry will revise the scheme of traffic fines as soon as possible.
Violators will currently be slapped with extra hefty fines for tickets they fail to settle by the deadline, Legislator Kuang Bi-ling from the main opposition Democratic Progressive Party said.
Driving without a license will warrant an NT$3,600 fine, which will almost double to NT$6,000 30 days past the deadline, and triple to NT$18,000 after 60 days, Kuang said, citing one example.
But the legislator cited a grand justices' ruling in dismissing such punitive fines as unconstitutional.
Environmental authorities used to impose extra fines on polluters for overdue tickets, but the Council of Grand Justices ruled that the law only punishes acts of pollution without authorizing penalty for delays, Kuang said.
The same argument is also applicable to the traffic regulations, and therefore the extra fines for overdue traffic tickets are unconstitutional, she said during a question-and-answer session with Cabinet officials.
She estimated that NT$3.6 billion to NT$4.28 billion in such extra punitive fines would be imposed on violators this year.
The legislator demanded that Premier Liu Chao-shiuan and transportation authorities remedy the situation.
As the law does not authorize the punitive fines, Liu said the transport ministry will study the issue.
Transport minister Mao Chi-kuo said his ministry will revise the scheme of traffic fines as soon as possible.
Source: https://www.chinapost.com.tw/taiwan/national/national-news/2009/03/28/201950/Overdue-traffic.htm
1Will not be visible to public.
2Receive notification of other comments posted for this article. To cease notification after having posted click here.
3To make a link clickable in the comments box enclose in link tags - ie.<link>Link</link>.
4To show an image enclose the image URL in tags - ie.<image>https://fredspage.com/box.jpg</image>. Note: image may be resized if too large
To further have your say, head to our forum Click Here
To contribute a news article Click Here
To view or contribute a Quote Click Here