Parking tickets set to go up to £65
Parking tickets are to go up to £65 as part of the first increases for more than a decade in fixed penalty notices issued by the police, traffic wardens and other special constables.
Home Affairs will now draw up legislation to add £25 to band A, B and C offences, which currently have fines of £40, £70 and £100 respectively, after the States backed its proposals this week by 34 votes to two.
A discount of £10 will remain available if a fine is paid within seven days.
‘This will ensure that fines remain fair and proportionate, as well as providing an appropriate financial deterrent,’ Home Affairs president Rob Prow told the States.
‘Fixed penalty notices allow for specific lower-level offences, including some traffic offences, to be settled outside of the formal criminal justice system, saving both time for the police and the courts and preventing a potential recorded conviction.’
Driving on a footpath was one of about 50 offences included in the fixed penalties regime debated by the States, but Adrian Gabriel asked for that to be reconsidered.
‘Driving on a pavement is a significant offence and it affects the safety of our community,’ he said.
‘It shouldn’t be in band A, and perhaps not even in band C, and should be attracting a court appearance.’
Deputy Gabriel also suggested that changing fines related to fixed penalty notices should be done at committee level by statutory instrument rather than requiring a policy letter and then an ordinance to be approved by the Assembly.
Dog fouling was also one of the offences under discussion.
It will soon attract a fine of £125, if a fixed penalty notice is issued, but Deputy Steve Falla wanted to know whether one is ever used.
Sue Aldwell, a former constable of Torteval, spoke about a case in which a gentleman who lived in Town and repeatedly failed to clear up his three dogs’ mess when they walked in Torteval ended up with a fixed penalty notice.
‘It worked. We haven’t seen him in Torteval since,’ said Deputy Aldwell.
Deputy Tina Bury noted that in Finland the level of fine imposed for speeding was related to the income of the offender.
‘A fine of £100 on someone who has £300 a week to spend is very, very different compared to someone who might have £100,000 a week to spend.
‘I think it’s worth consideration,’ she said, while acknowledging that it may be too administratively complex for Guernsey.
Other offences attracting fixed penalty notices include having inadequate lights or tyres on cars, failing to wear a crash helmet or seat belt, smoking at the airport and dropping litter.
There are about 14,000 fixed penalty notices issued each year, mostly for band A offences.
