Wrong parkers and speeders have to pay more fines according to the new catalog of fines. Does this make itself felt in the state coffers in Thuringia?
Erfurt (dpa/th) - After the introduction of the new catalog of fines last November, traffic offenders in Thuringia brought the state and the municipalities significantly more revenue. Around 16.3 million euros have been collected from November 2021 to June 2022, as the State Police Directorate announced on request. That is 30 percent more than in the same period last year. However, the number of violations increased by only five percent. The police recently registered a total of 304,714 warnings and fines.
However, the State Police Directorate pointed out in the comparative figures that the amount of income could not be measured against the transactions received in the respective period. On the one hand, not every administrative offense is paid for immediately. In other cases, it is not possible for those affected to pay the fine in one amount. The density of controls was not increased after the introduction of the new catalog of fines, it said.
The new regulations are also making themselves felt in the municipalities - albeit to different extents. The city of Erfurt reported that revenue from sanctions against traffic violations had risen by 60 percent since November last year. In Gotha, stationary traffic revenue increased by exactly EUR 135,067.59 during the reference period.
More money was also collected in Gera, but the city could not verify whether it was due to the catalog of fines. Reference was made to other factors such as the corona situation and changes in the workforce. Weimar reported stable income.
Despite the threat of penalties, the administrative offenses in the parking ban, on bike paths or sidewalks or in fire brigade access roads have not decreased according to the experience of the public order office in Weimar, for example. In Gera it was found that sidewalk parking is actually increasing. In the case of traffic violations on bike paths and in fire brigade access roads, the situation is unchanged, but violations by delivery and delivery services are increasing. In Erfurt, the "subjective observations of the sales representatives" allow the statement that the number of violations has noticeably reduced, at least on sidewalks.
In November 2021, the new catalog of fines came into force after tough negotiations between the federal and state governments. For example, anyone who parks illegally on sidewalks and cycle paths or in the second row can face a fine of up to 110 euros.
