27/01/2009

Cross-Border Visitors' Road Fine Toll Shock

It has emerged that drivers from the Republic of Ireland have failed to pay parking and other road traffic fines to the value of more than £1 million.

The Irish car drivers have chalked up nearly 20,000 unpaid fines in Northern Ireland, with a total of 18,898 fines being currently unpaid - which amounts to an estimated bill of £1.1m.

The Northern Ireland Department of Regional Development's Roads Service has been working with the vehicle licensing authorities on both sides of the border to try and resolve this matter - according to a spokesman.

However, as the value of Sterling falls and more people from the Irish Republic come to shop in Northern Ireland, the level of such fines has soared.

The problem is that NI Roads Service is unable to access details for vehicles from the Republic of Ireland.

It's clearly a growing problem as, last May, figures revealed that 12,000 people from the Republic of Ireland owed parking fines and now that total is closer to 20,000.

The figures were released in response to a Stormont Assembly question from Simon Hamilton, of the DUP.

(BMcC/JM)

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