MLA queries unpaid tickets

Fermanagh and South Tyrone Ulster Unionist MLA Rosemary Barton said she intended to question officials from the Department for Infrastructure on how it follows up on fines for vehicles registered south of the border.

Mrs Barton said: “The figures that I have obtained of unpaid on-street parking tickets issued throughout towns in Northern Ireland provide some interesting statistics.

“One of those figures highlight that 31pc of the tickets issued to Republic of Ireland vehicles remain unpaid, this is compared to 11 per cent unpaid that have been issued to UK registered vehicles.

“I will attempt to establish how the Department of Infrastructure follow up with unpaid tickets and if they have a mechanism of progressing legal action against those resident in both Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland.

“Locally Enniskillen has 16pc of the fines unpaid, Dungannon 11.5pc and 17pc in Omagh.

“While much lower than towns like Londonderry and Strabane, which have an average of 25 per cent it remains significant numbers of unpaid parking fines for on-street parking violations.”

Another interesting figure is that almost 25pc of these tickets that were issued in the Derry and Strabane Council area remain unpaid.

Figures showing the number of on-street car parking tickets paid and unpaid from January 2017 to September 2017 show 676 tickets issued in Dungannon and 79 remaining unpaid. In Clogher 74 tickets were issued with six unpaid, while in Cookstown 823 tickets were issued and 90 have not been paid. No tickets were issued in Donaghmore and Aughnacloy.