State to privatise penalty points system for drivers

The Department of Transport is to privatise the proposed penalty points system for driving offences in a move to ensure its introduction by the end of next month.

Tenders from private data-processing companies which would liaise between the gardaí, courts and licensing authorities, are expected by the Department within two weeks, the Minister for Transport, Mr Brennan, has told The Irish Times.

A public information programme is being planned. The system will initially be operated manually, without an integrated computer system between gardaí, courts and local authorities. But Mr Brennan said it would be nonetheless effective "if a bit slower".

He said privatising the scheme would speed up its delivery. He believed this would allow the scheme to meet his initial deadline of October, made when Mr Brennan assumed office after the election. It was initially intended to be operated by the civil service. "We expect the system to be in place by the October deadline - it might be late October, very late, but it will be there."

Under the scheme there will be 62 separate offences from speeding and minor traffic violations, to the condition of vehicles, which could incur penalty points on driving licences. On the accumulation of 12 points, the driver's licence will be automatically suspended for six months. The system was first promised by the Taoiseach, Mr Ahern, in July 1998, when he launched a five-year road safety strategy.

However, the finance, computer systems linking the courts service gardaí and licensing authorities, as well as extra gardaí for the scheme was not forthcoming.

Failure to implement the system was cited as the reason why a target of reducing road deaths by 20 per cent - based on 1997 levels - by the end of this year is unlikely to be met. Mr Brennan said, however, that he was determined his promise to bring in the points system would be kept - even without the back-up of an integrated computer system.

"With 62 offences, it wouldn't be hard for the guards to stop you and hand out two points, and when you gather 12 points you automatically lose the licence for six months," Mr Brennan said.