Wheel clamp for foreign motorists who repeatedly fail to pay parking fines

City authorities in Lier have noticed that quite a few foreigner drivers and especially Romanian seasonal workers are refusing to pay their parking fines.

"There’s a guy who has meanwhile collected 66 fines," says mayor Rik Verwaest. "Almost all repeat offenders have Romanian number plates. The parking company cannot legally collect the fines in Romania. News like that soon does the rounds. It also leads to frustrations. People who pay correctly do not want to see cars with a collection of parking tickets. The law is there for everyone."

"Several municipalities including Leuven(Flemish Brabant) and Menin (West Flanders) already apply the measure. Of course, we won’t be clamping your car at the first offence. We won’t do that to foreign tourists whose parking ticket has just expired. We will intervene if you collect five fines, for example. The clamp is only removed when you have paid all the fines. We may also charge for the clamp. It may be a100 euro-lump sum, for example."

Towing away the vehicle is not an option. That is only allowed if your car is parked inconveniently, e.g. in front of a garage door. "If a car is left parked for several months, that can also be considered a nuisance and the vehicle can be impounded. In municipalities where clamping is carried out, like in Leuven or Menin, it’s not a regular occurrence"

Lier city council will table the proposal in the city council in September. The measure could take effect this autumn.