The new Road Traffic Act comes into force tomorrow and it sees the number of offences for which points are deducted from the driving licence reduced from 27 to 20 instances.
Parking in a bus lane, driving without lights or parking on a corner will no longer result in the deduction of points from the driving licence, although they will still result in a fine.
Procedures relating to fines will also be speeded up, the use of email being one method to be employed in the future. Offenders who pay fines within 20 days will get a 50% discount, although they lose any right of appeal. Fines may also be paid on the spot by means of credit card.
Another change, and a good one, is that all monies levied from motorists by means of fines now goes towards road safety policies and a portion is then allocated to the victims of road traffic accidents. This should see a reduction in the number of localised ‘campaigns’ aimed at boosting municipal coffers.