TRAFFIC - CHANGES TO OUT OF COURT TRAFFIC TICKET MACHINES FOR NEW FINES

 Filenews 18 August 2020 - by Michalis Hatzivasilis

Changes to the tickets issued by the Traffic Police to be compatible with the new fines passed by the House on 31 July. Drivers will soon begin to be informed of the new penalties and the risks that lie if safety measures are not complied with.

After the approval of the new penalties, Traffic, as the director of Giannis Georgiou told "F", proceeded to issue a tender in order to change the software with which the existing out-of-court issuing machines operate. The offer has been awarded and now the changes will be made to ensure that the machines are compatible with the provisions of the new legislation.

As Mr Georgiou explained, the new software must recognise when a driver has been charged a second time within three years for the same offence, in order to apply the new provision of legislation which provides that in this case the fine in the second infringement is doubled. In other words, if someone is accused of using a mobile phone while driving, the fine will be EUR 150 and if it is denounced for the second time in three years the out-of-court will be EUR 300.

Another arrangement that will be made, according to the Director of Traffic, concerns the payment time of the out-of-court. The driver is now given 15 days to pay his out-of-court fee, plus another 15 days with an extra charge. The new legislation extends the deadline for payment of out-of-court fines issued for traffic offences exceeding €100 from 15 days to 30 days, while prosecution against a person who has not paid the out-of-court fine is carried out after 45 days from its issuance, instead of after the 30 days currently in force.

The new penalties should be familiar not only to drivers but also to traffic police officers, since these are many changes that concern not only penalties but also other regulations, such as the movement of a vehicle.

In the meantime, the campaign to inform the public of the dangers of non-compliance with the Highway Traffic Code and the new fines will begin on 15 September. The five relevant advertising spots are already ready and the driver will be informed of the risks involved when not wearing the helmet, safety belt, speed and alcohol, as well as the fines he will pay for any infringement of the relevant laws. At the same time, for the first time, the non-safe coverage of a vehicle and the non-issue of a certificate of conformity, the well-known MOT, are regulated out of court.