ADT faces €11 million unpaid fines on unlicensed vehicles
Matthew Vella
The backdrop to the Malta Transport Authority’s latest campaign to bring unlicensed vehicles in line with the law is an estimated shortfall of €11 million in unpaid fines.
Unlicensed vehicles rose by some 35% in four years, reaching 31,237 this year. Since road licences cannot be renewed unless all outstanding traffic fines are paid, it is likely that most of these rogue vehicles have absconded from paying outstanding fines.
An internal report compiled by local councils has revealed a staggering €11,367,837 in unpaid traffic fines and other penalties since 2000.
The sum is owed by 23,560 offenders, who were given an astounding 233,231 contravention tickets.
Of curious interest is the fact that just six offenders owe the total of €1,322,658 in fines and penalties for non-payment. The main offender alone received €228,748 in fines for 4,984 unpaid contravention tickets.
Altogether, Malta’s top ten offenders incurred 13,898 tickets for a total of €683,927 in fines.
People who have unlicensed vehicles will now be made to either pay their dues or face a daily fine and have their cars towed. With effect from October 1, those who would not have paid their licence within three months from expiry will be fined €2 a day and risk having their car towed. The vehicles will only be released when all pending fees are settled.
Recouping the money from unpaid traffic contraventions, if the ADT’s new measures prove successful, will also be important for local councils and Datatrak, the private company that centralises all data on contraventions and motorists.
Recouping any of the €11 million will be revenue for both councils and the company, which takes a cut for processing a fine that is issued by local wardens, speed cameras or CCTV cameras.
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