Rund Abdelfatah
THE UK tax authorities hope to make millions helping European authorities track down British drivers who have incurred fines on holiday.
Most victims are likely to be families returning from holidays in Spain and France unaware they have committed an offence.
Brits on holiday in Spain can be hit with fines for speeding, parking offences and not wearing a seatbelt.
It is estimated that British motorists cough up €950,000 a year to pay for European penalty tickets.
Meanwhile, 2,500 Brits a month are being contacted with fines after they return home from trips to European destinations such as Spain.
“There is nothing worse than having a penalty notice follow you home from abroad,” said a spokesman from the AA.
Sorry – you break the law, why should you be allowed to run away from your responsibilities? And yes; I’m right behind the Guardia’s drive to remove UK plated cars that don’t have an M.O.T. or road-fund disk as well. If you want to live in or visit another country, abide by the laws or pay the price. It’s not difficult – I’ve been doing it for years.
It’s not just UK vehicles that break the law.
What about all the other foreign vehicles on Spanish roads that are illegal?
It’s just another bash the Brits, as far as I’m concerned, and before you comment, yes I am street legal.
Don’t have an issue with chasing people who break the law in other countries while on holiday or “Living there” but it does hack me off that after all these years of the European Union the only things they seem to have harmonised is getting money out of ordinary people. No harmonisation of consumer law, tax law, property law, labour law (try getting a job in Spain, Italy or France as a non national) and now residency law for EU citizens as it seems Spain is about to tear up the rule book and not even it’s own officials seem to know what the new rules are.
I agree.
Spain seems to want to strike itself off being of interest to the tourist and property buyer.
Well so be it, I’ve been spending my hard earned money in Spain for many years, but other more user friendly countries are starting to beckon.
I can still vote with my wallet.
Peter
It is “bash the Brits” but it isn’t the Spanish government doing the bashing. It is the UK. If the UK authorities weren’t going out of their way to enforce it then nothing would happen. This doesn’t happen with Portuguese or French motorists who incur tickets in Spain, or Spanish motorists who incur tickets in France and Portugal. Start with change at home.
under EU regulations enforcing the law is a national sport except of course in spain where the law is bent in every whichway direction. Remember the law that makes cruelty to animals a criminal offence? In spain that law is officially flouted every sunday in bullrings all over the country where they torture bulls to death in a barbaric spectacle of bloodsoaked cowardice that only the spanish are capable of.
Often I hear complaints in Spain that Spanish police and other law enforcement authorities do NO enforce the law… so now when they do, we hear more complaints. It’s a GOOD move to fine lawbreakers visiting Spain. Their are UK Legal firms that ADVERTISE in Spanish papers that they will apprehend and gain monies owed by UK residents who owe Spanish Community Association fees, etc. If these law firms team up with the Spanish and UK governments, they will ALL make much-needed money! UNknowingly or knowingly violating a country’s laws does not absolve anyone of the crime, even if their home country cries about it. Ex: try smuggling drugs into some Asian countries!!
Just get yourself a driving licence in two or three countries.. I have a Danish one and a German one, that I use for hiring cars etc in Spain, but my ‘normal’ licence is a UK one of which I have 2 spares.. If I get stopped for speeding in the UK I use my German one or Danish one, and vice versa.. Rightfully, I should be off the road really with so many possible points.. Where there’s a will there’s a way lol…. It’s also a good way of claiming the odd benefit in some countries which pays for a couple of nice meals out a week!!
Nice troll attempt M Hawkins, but total fabrication. Good try though.