Thread: US speeders slapped with fuel surcharges on top of fines

US speeders slapped with fuel surcharges on top of fines


Thu Jun 19, 7:32 AM ET

WASHINGTON (AFP) - Some cash-strapped US municipalities are resorting to slapping fuel surcharges onto tickets issued to speeding drivers in order to fill dwindling city coffers hit hard by skyrocketing gas prices.
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Beginning July 1, the Georgia town of Holly Springs, near the city of Atlanta, will add a surcharge of 12 dollars for each moving violation as a means to avert a budget deficit brought on by high fuel prices.

"It's a creative and innovative idea of our police chief," said Holly CothranDrake, spokeswoman of the city administration which on Wednesday received queries from several American municipalities that are considering similar measures, including Florida's Key West and California's Los Angeles County.

"The reason is to offset the cost of the trend of rising fuel prices," CothanDrake said.

The 12-dollar charge is expected to pull in around 20,000 dollars for the town of 7,700 people.

Nearby Atlanta is conducting a feasibility study for a similar measure that would tack on 10 to 15 dollars per violation.

"The hike in gas prices seriously hurts our ability to patrol," said Clarence Martin, the Atlanta city council member who proposed the measure.

Surging gas prices in the United States now stand at an average of 4.07 dollars per gallon (3.78 liters), a 25-percent increase in just five months.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20080619/ts ... entoffbeat

adding insult to injury