It’s fine time to renew car rego
UNREGISTERED vehicles caught on Queensland roads have surged significantly since the government removed registration stickers from windscreens.
It can be revealed that more than 58,200 fines were issued for unregistered vehicles in the 12 months to September, 2017.
That is up about 25 per cent from 46,694 in the year before the sticker reminder program was scrapped in October, 2014.
It means that government coffers have been pumped with millions of dollars in extra revenue generated from the fines, which range from $200 to $1900.
The extra revenue generated in the 12 months to September last year would have been at least $2.3 million more than the year before the sticker program ended.
The government has denied that the increase in fines is due solely to the removal of the stickers, pointing instead to a range of factors, including improved enforcement.
Transport Minister Mark Bailey said Queensland’s Automatic Number Plate Recognition network, which detects unregistered vehicles, had increased from eight fixed cameras in 2014 to 41 fixed and mobile cameras in 2018.
“Increased enforcement and better technology means drivers doing the wrong thing will more than likely be caught, but the fines will continue to contribute to ongoing road improvement funding,” he said.
“The new tech hasn’t led to an explosion in fines.
“Ninety per cent of people do the right thing and pay their registration on time.”
Mr Bailey said that the decision to remove the stickers saved the state about $3.5 million in annual administration costs.
Mr Bailey claimed that drivers had been given more options to check the status of their rego since the stickers were phased out.
“Motorists can check how long they’ve got left on their registration at any time through the Qld Rego Check App and opt in for registration renewal notice emails and reminders,” he said.
“Setting up these reminders is a good idea as technology advances have also made it easier than ever before for police to check registration.”
RACQ spokeswoman Clare Hunter said that motorists should well and truly be used to the system, given the stickers had been removed more than four years ago.
“The rego system is effective and we don’t need to bring back the stickers,” she said.
“It’s a driver’s responsibility to make sure their car is registered. If you can remember mortgage repayments, bills and rent, you can remember to register your car.”