AT THE HEART OF THE ROAD TRANSPORT INDUSTRY.

Call our Sales Team on 0208 912 2120

Roadside fine plan will clamp down on runaway foreigners

17th February 2005
Page 18
Page 18, 17th February 2005 — Roadside fine plan will clamp down on runaway foreigners
Close
Noticed an error?
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.

Which of the following most accurately describes the problem?

The case of a French driver who is on the run after killing a motorist has prompted plans for on-the-spot fines. David Harris reports

THE DEPARTMENT for Transport has revealed that the case of a French truck driver who failed to pay a £500 fine after causing a fatal accident was instrumental in plans for on-the-spot fines for foreigners committing offences on UK roads.

Jean Claude Boulanger is still on the run three years after being convicted for his part in an accident which killed coach driver Alan Harrison in Yorkshire (CM 21 March 2002). Boulanger made an illegal U-turn on the A638 near Pontefract and ended up on the wrong side of the road.

Harrison's wife, June. has since waged a sustained campaign for justice. Although Boulanger has not yet been caught, it appears her efforts have played a part in the forthcoming legal change.

This will mean that drivers who commit offences and are unable to prove UKresidency will be required to pay a deposit at the roadside equivalent to the fme that a court might subsequently impose.

Transport Minister David Jamieson confirmed in a recent official letter that "the case of Mrs Harrison's husband has played a part in effecting the development of this proposal".

Mrs Harrison, who is still upset that Boulanger has not been caught,says:"The only satisfaction I have got at the moment is that I have played a big part in changing the law when it comes to drivers from overseas who break law."

The new roadside fines for foreign offenders will come into effect in 2006.

Jamieson explains: "We wish to ensure that all offenders, regardless of nationality, are properly punished when they infringe the law. The deposit scheme will eradicate the current unequal treatment and provide consistency for drivers in terms of road traffic enforcement and the penalties involved."


comments powered by Disqus