A special database that will function as an application is being prepared by the Police to place the names of those drivers who are reported by the cameras but do not receive their extrajudicial fines.
At the same time, «F» reports that the first cases concerning the photo-tagging system began to be registered in the Courts. Their trial will also determine the law on the basis of which the whole system operates. Yesterday, the assistant head of the Traffic Department at the Headquarters, Haris Evripidou, explained that the problem with extrajudicial notices concerns those that drivers do not receive. Initially, he said, the effort to send the extrajudicial documents is done by mail.
But there is the problem because several of the databases that exist to identify the person are not up to date, so there is no correct address, so it can be sent immediately and picked up by the owner of the vehicle. Also, many avoid going to get the notice from the post office. At the moment, the amendment of the legislation is pending so that the notification is sent either to the phones by sms or to the email addresses. In fact, it stresses that the aim is to renew the databases through marketing authorisations. He explained that it is a criminal offence not to update drivers’ details, such as address.
As Mr. Evripidou observed, there is a time limit on how long you can issue an extrajudicial document. After six months from its issuance and if it is not received, it will then be sent to the court. It is in the interests of vehicle drivers who are informed by post office that they have an extrajudicial document to collect it, because if they do not receive it and the time has passed, then they will be sent to court.
In the meantime, the application that is being prepared, in which all the details of those pending out of court proceedings of the Traffic Police will be recorded, will operate both at airports and ports, at barricades and at all police stations. When someone comes either to go abroad or to make an application to the Police, then they will be checked if there is an out-of-court case pending by the cameras and a notice will be served on the spot.
Meanwhile, next Thursday, the Transport Committee of the Parliament will discuss the proposal for a law by MP Nikos Tornaritis, according to which penalty points are time-barred in two instead of three years. The proposal aims to prevent a driver from losing his driving licence easily.