Prompted by our local radio running a report on drivers who had failed to receive Tax discs paid for online, I googled for the effects of the Royal Mail strike to see how much it
really cost the economy - and I find that even the government may lose out money wise.
http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/2698934/Speeding-fines-hit-by-postal-strike.htmlThe SUN wrote:
Speeding fines hit by strike
By CLODAGH HARTLEY
Consumer Affairs Editor
TENS of thousands of motorists will dodge speed camera fines because of the mail strikes.
Drivers cannot be convicted unless they receive notification of their offence within two weeks.
And the postal workers' stoppages last week mean about 20,000 notices of intended prosecution a day have got stuck in the backlog and will not be delivered on time.
Thousands more will be buried in the mail mountain if this week's three-day strike goes ahead on Thursday.
Motorists using the legal loophole will escape a £60 fine and three points on their licence for speeding or jumping a red light.
A driver who already has nine points will dodge a six-month ban.
The authorities rake in about £6million a week from 100,000 speeding and other traffic fines.
The delayed notices could lose them about £1.2million a day.
Road traffic lawyer Chris Sweetman said: "If a notice arrives more than 14 days after the alleged offence the driver cannot be prosecuted because it would be 'out of time' in a court."
Anti-speed camera campaigner Captain Gatso said: "This may be the only silver lining to the postal strike."
Royal Mail chief Adam Crozier yesterday said he hoped union chiefs making "nonsense" claims would "shut up" and "common sense" would prevail when they meet bosses for fresh talks today.
Up to 120,000 workers are set to strike again from Thursday.
THE industrial action has cost London businesses £500million this summer, a survey said yesterday.
So because the greedy scammerati will not use recorded delivery, "guilty" motorists have been handed a chance to avoid the ticket?
I have 2 packets sent out last week still not delivered, which I know, because I paid the extra 40 pence to have them go RECORDED Delivery - for a smaller amount than a £60 fine!!
So why can the CTO not use it too?
Meanwhile, thousands of businesses who have to work for a living suffer because the Royal Mail cannot run it's business the way it wants to.
If it were not a monopoly, the usual way of handling this would be to wind up the company and start afresh!
Back to the Tax disc story, does anyone know how long you could drive without displaying a tax disc if the Royal Mail have not delivered it yet? I know I can count the number of police cars I have seen this year on the fingers of my hands, but chances are that at least one would appear the moment my tax disc get's held up in the post!
According to our local BBC, 5 days is all you are allowed, as the DVLA say that they should be delivered by then!