Karousos proposes money deposit for car rentals to ensure payment of fines

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memory man
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Karousos proposes money deposit for car rentals to ensure payment of fines

Post by memory man »

Newly-appointed Transport Minister Yiannis Karousos is proposing visitors who rent cars in Cyprus be required to deposit an amount of €300-€500 as a guarantee to ensure the payment of out of court traffic fines, Phileleftheros reported on Wednesday.

Karousos has a negative experience on this issue from his tenure mayor of Ayia Napa. In the past three years, in the free Famagusta area alone tourists who rented cars had left the country leaving behind them about 6000 outstanding traffic fines. As the area accounts for 35% of the tourist market, the estimate of unpaid fines for rented cars islandwide is 20,000 he said.

The proposal is for the money to be blocked on their credit cards for approximately two weeks (average length of holidays in Cyprus) and will be released if no violations or fines have occurred.

Answering questions, the Minister underlined that his purpose is not the fines per se, (however the money can be used to improve infrastructure), but aimed at making people drive responsibly as they will know they are liable for breaching the law.

Since non-payment has become a routine practice, Karousos said this cannot continue. Drafting of the bill will take some time but he undertook to ensure it is not forgotten.

https://in-cyprus.com/karousos-proposes ... -of-fines/
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WHL
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Re: Karousos proposes money deposit for car rentals to ensure payment of fines

Post by WHL »

While renting in the UK I have had a speeding fine, with out me knowing, on my return to Cyprus the rental company have paid that fine on my behave as they have my card details, even adding a bit more for that 'service', why cant the rental company's here do the same?
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Re: Karousos proposes money deposit for car rentals to ensure payment of fines

Post by Jim B »

I was fined £50 by Parking Eye at the hotel we were staying at in Lancaster; it was deducted from my credit card used for the car hire though I did eventually get my money back.

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memory man
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Re: Karousos proposes money deposit for car rentals to ensure payment of fines

Post by memory man »

Is it legal for someone else to use your credit card without authorization?
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Flyer
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Re: Karousos proposes money deposit for car rentals to ensure payment of fines

Post by Flyer »

Of course its legal for the car hire company to charge any fines or charges to your credit card, it is all in the contract that you sign when picking up the car. They should do the same here to avoid fines not being paid.
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Dominic
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Re: Karousos proposes money deposit for car rentals to ensure payment of fines

Post by Dominic »

memory man wrote: Wed Dec 11, 2019 12:20 pm Is it legal for someone else to use your credit card without authorization?
You will probably find you do authorise this use, when you sign the mountains of paperwork.

It is the logical solution.
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mike strand2
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Re: Karousos proposes money deposit for car rentals to ensure payment of fines

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Once a visitor has left the country, it would be virtually impossible to challenge the fine! That surely must make it non enforceable.
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Re: Karousos proposes money deposit for car rentals to ensure payment of fines

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It wouldn't make them unenforceable, it would make them undefendable.
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Jim B
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Re: Karousos proposes money deposit for car rentals to ensure payment of fines

Post by Jim B »

mike strand2 wrote: Wed Dec 11, 2019 6:24 pm Once a visitor has left the country, it would be virtually impossible to challenge the fine! That surely must make it non enforceable.
I know mine was a parking fine but I did contest it and won. I had records of our reservation at the hotel which entitled us to park in the car park. I was reimbursed. A speeding ticket is a different ball game though the number of red plates that speed past us on the motorway I can understand the Minisisters concern as some tourists appear to believe they can get away with breaking the law.

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manxie
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Re: Karousos proposes money deposit for car rentals to ensure payment of fines

Post by manxie »

How about collecting the fines from local drivers which must amount to many thousands just a cheap publicity shot in my opinion
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Re: Karousos proposes money deposit for car rentals to ensure payment of fines

Post by WHL »

manxie wrote: Thu Dec 12, 2019 1:16 am How about collecting the fines from local drivers which must amount to many thousands just a cheap publicity shot in my opinion
How does that help re Rental fines?
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Re: Karousos proposes money deposit for car rentals to ensure payment of fines

Post by galexinda »

Last time I hired a car in the UK (2014) the company took a £200 payment off my debit card at the time I collected the vehicle in case there were any traffic or parking fines. The card was duly credited about 3 weeks after my return to Cyprus.
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