The police have introduced modern forms of payment. (source: SITA)
STARTING August 21, drivers in Bratislava can pay their traffic fines with plastic rather than paper. Zuzana Zajacová, the head of the Bratislava city police, hopes that allowing drivers to pay fines using credit and debit cards will not only be effective, but help reduce police corruption, the ČTK newswire wrote.
The police in Bratislava collect Sk12 million (more than €398,000) in fines annually.
“This is a modern form of payment, and sooner or later, other police forces will start using it,” Zajacová told journalists.
There will be three terminals at which drivers can make the payments.
The first will be with the motorised patrol, the second will be at the towing service centre in Bazová Street, and the third will be in the Ružinov district.
Last year, the Anti-Corruption Unit accused a total of 42 people, including eight police officers, of having received bribes.
“The words ‘corruption’ and ‘police’ have been placed in the same sentence many times, and this is one of the reasons that we have decided on a cash-free payment procedure,” Zajacová confirmed.
Bratislava police will re-evaluate usage of the payment terminals after six months, ČTK wrote. If they work, more will be installed.
Under the terms of the new Road Act, which takes effect this October, traffic fines will increase to up to Sk20,000 (almost €664).
