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Mighty fine loophole

Bulgaria has admitted hardly any of the country’s residents bother to pay traffic fines because there is no-one to collect the money. The legal loophole means that although the police are empowered to hand out everything from speeding fines to parking tickets, there is no official body to collect the fines.

Last year only six per cent of the fines slapped on motorists were paid, reports Ananova.com. Most drivers pulled over merely take a ticket and then drive off knowing they will never have to pay the fine, which has caused a massive shortfall in funding for the transport ministry and fewer police on patrol on the roads. Last year only £690,000 out of a total of £11 million was paid, mostly by foreigners unaware that they could avoid the fine.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Ruth Mitchell .