Industry slates 135 fine rise r
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• Proposals to raise speeding tickets and parking fines by £35 in order to help pay victims of crime have been attacked by motoring groups and trade associations.
A leaked letter from the Home Secretary David Blunkett to Cabinet colleagues outlines plans to boost the £160m-ayear criminal injuries compensation scheme.
But the suggestions are unlikely to be welcomed by road users. The Freight Transport Association describes the proposals as "appalling"; it says commercial vehicles paid out £18 million in parking fines alone in London between 2001-02, which it believes is disproportionately high.
An FTA spokeswoman says: "Delivery vehicles particularly are being penalised. This would add insult to injury."
However, chief executive for road safety charity Brake Mary Williams says the current level of speeding fines is "stupidly low" and welcomes a system that compensates victims properly.
"Motoring groups up in arms [about this] are being extremely petty," Williams says. "There is no disincentive to speeding crimes."
A Home Office spokesman says: "We have absolutely nothing to say about a document not yet approved that was leaked with the objective of preventing radical ideas from being discussed."