Officials dodge fines questions

Government officials continued to dodge questions yesterday about overseas tourists skipping the country without paying traffic fines.

Police acting national road policing manager Inspector Pete McKay would not comment on whether there was a problem retrieving speeding fines from overseas drivers.

He would not comment on whether police could retrieve fines from tourists who left the country without paying their fines.

The Southland Times asked Government departments this week how much overseas tourists owe in traffic fines after reporting that the Queenstown Lakes District Council had lost $2.4 million during the past five years in unpaid parking fines, mostly from overseas drivers.

The council blames rental car companies, which refuse to chase the people who rack up the fines while driving their vehicles.

The Justice Ministry has been unable during the past two days to provide information on how much is owed by overseas tourists.

A ministry spokeswoman said yesterday she did not know when the figures would be available.

The problem with unpaid fines arises where the driver is not immediately identified, such as speed camera fines and parking tickets. The infringement notices are sent to the vehicle's owner, who can avoid further action by proving someone else was driving at the time of the infringement.

That is easy for rental car companies to do, leaving the council or the justice system to chase drivers who have long since left the country.

The law was changed in 2007 so rental car companies could retrieve fines through the customer's credit card details. However, the NZ Transport Agency said this week the legislation was still being "bedded in" and few rental car companies were using it.

Rental Vehicle Association chief executive Raewyn Bleakley said the law change two years ago turned rental car companies into enforcers, taking on the cost and risk of retrieving money for the Government.

The association was also concerned that, by agreeing to retrieve fines, rental companies became responsible for the paying even if the driver wiggled out of their credit card payment.

Ms Bleakley plans to talk to Government officials about rental car companies passing credit card details on to the authorities or using a bond to cover any fines.

- © Fairfax NZ News

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