Dozens of towns and municipalities have increased their traffic fines in recent years by adding extra charges for which there is no legal basis, according to Het Laatste Nieuws (HLN).
In total, the amount of reportedly unlawfully charged fees added to at least €12 million.
Of the 55 local authorities included who were questioned by the news outlet, 32 admitted that they had, in recent years, levied charges on top of local traffic fines.
According to HLN, Antwerp, Mechelen, Genk, Geel and Lier in particular have increased tens of thousands of fines with unlawful charges in recent years. For the cities and municipalities surveyed, this is estimated to involve 911,000 traffic fines.
The newspaper identified two types of charges. Some local authorities automatically added between €6 and €11 to the fine they sent to every citizen, under the guise of a ‘tax’ or ‘administrative surcharge’. A second type of charge is aimed at those who do not pay the fine or pay it late. For this group, 31 municipalities charge “reminder fees” or “file handling fees”. This brought the city of Antwerp nearly €4.7 million.
Although the cities and municipalities concerned believe these charges to be lawful, HLN states that there are at least three court rulings which claim the opposite.
Flemish Interior Minister Hilde Crevits (CD&V) also refers to an advisory opinion stating that no additional charges may be levied on GAS fines “during the amicable settlement phase”. Crevits regrets that municipalities are nevertheless charging extra fees.
The Limburg municipality of Oudsbergen began refunding the charges levied earlier this year.
