Thousands of pounds recovered from drivers who fail to pay fines

Enforcement teams targeted persistent non-payers during March in a number of areas including Glasgow, the Lothians, Dunbartonshire and Lanarkshire to recover cash owed from fines. In Dumbarton, five cars were immobilised and their drivers forced to pay up to get them back again.

The 29 drivers had received fines varying from less than £50 to more than £2,000 for a variety of offences from speeding to serious assault.

Some also found their businesses were affected after they discovered their vehicles had been clamped. A Coatbridge man had his truck immobilised until he came up with the £300 he owed after being fined at Glasgow JP Court for careless driving. He paid up within days of the clamping.

Vehicles clamped ranged from commercial vehicles to top line Audis and Mercedes and as well as settling their fines, owners had to stump up an extra £68 to have clamps removed.

In all cases, the offenders had opportunities to pay their fines off at a reasonable and affordable instalment rate – but did not do so.

Clamping is one of a number of measures the Scottish Courts and Tribunals Service (SCTS) can use to recover unpaid fines and a new electronic interface between the SCTS and the DVLA vehicle database has enhanced the ability to track down defaulters.

SCTS chief operations officer David Fraser said: “Clamping is a very effective way to make fines defaulters pay up. The fines enforcement team is highly effective in securing unpaid fines and can agree reasonable and affordable instalment arrangements for those having genuine difficulties maintaining their payments.

“However, those who continually refuse to pay can’t hide and will face strong measures if they don’t engage with our officers.”