Turkish economy loses 75 mln liras over foreign trucks’ unpaid fines, international transport head says

ANKARA

Turkey’s economy lost 75 million Turkish Liras last year because vehicles with foreign license plates failed to pay traffic fines, the chairman of the executive board of Istanbul-based International Transporters Association (UND) has said.

UND Chair Fatih Şener also demanded the collection of retroactive illegal transit fees dating back three years, noting that it would contribute 2.5 billion liras to the country’s economy.

Some 200,000 vehicles with foreign license plates entered and exited Turkey in 2016, Şener said.

Some of the vehicles used toll roads illegally, resulting in the loss of 75 million liras for the economy, the UND head said.

Şener also said foreign-licensed vehicles damaged the transport sector by creating unfair competition, adding that administrative fines would become possible with new regulations for foreign-licensed vehicles that are determined to violating laws.

“We demand the collection of fees retroactively for at least three years from the vehicles which were detected with photographs and videos as they were driving illegally,” he added.

Şener also said vehicles with Turkish licenses were paying fines and traffic tickets on European highways to a greater degree than foreign vehicles in Turkey since collections are subject to greater control in Europe.

Şener also said the new regulation was a significant development with regard to Turkey’s prestige.