In times of austerity we need to scrape together every penny we can get to hand to the bankers to buy even bigger cars which is why the Foreign Office has began pursuing the £75 million owed in traffic fines from foreign embassies.
The US Embassy faces the largest bill with £8.1m outstanding, then it's Japan who owe us £5.6 million, Russia £5.1 million, Nigeria £4.5 million, Germany £3.9 million and the Indian embassy that will have to write a cheque for £3.3 million.
During a visit by US President Barack Obama in 2011, London's Mayor Boris Johnson asked him for a £5m cheque for unpaid traffic charges but the skinflint never coughed up.
Legal immunity means diplomats cannot be prosecuted for non-payment but the Foreign Office said that officials had still met with foreign missions and asked them to pay outstanding fines although as the amounts remain unpaid, i assume the two word reply had the word 'Off' at the end of it.
I'm not sure why we don't just clamp the cars and refuse to release them until they pay up but if i was the Foreign Office i would send out a memo to UK Embassies in America, Japan, Russia and Germany to park on pavements and in no parking zones until we get enough penalties to cancel out what they owe us.
2 comments:
I wonder how much the 75 million pound figure has to do with y'all's traffic laws. In any event, y'all aren't the only victims of bad diplomatic parkers.
-Nog
At the bottom, with no violations, are Japan!! How come they behave themselves there but rack up millions of pounds worth of parking fines here? Not surprised by the Canadians, yet to meet a bad Canadian.
Post a Comment