Most COVID-19 fines unpaid in B.C., but 'they will be paid,' says minister
CTV
British Columbia's public safety minister says only a small number of fines related to violation of COVID-19 measures have been paid, but people who want to drive their vehicle may have to pay up.
Mike Farnworth says the Insurance Corporation of B.C. will send unpaid fines to a collection agency after 30 days when the period to dispute them has ended.
Other unpaid violation ticket files typically go to collections after a year.
Amendments to the Motor Vehicle Act last spring allow the corporation to refuse to issue driver's licences and vehicle licences to people who have not paid fines.
A spokesman for the corporation says 2,724 tickets have been issued, amounting to over $1.9 million in fines.
Brent Shearer says less than $388,000 of that amount has been paid so far for 736 tickets, and that guilty verdicts were the result of court action related to 1,181 tickets.
He says court dates have been requested to dispute 417 tickets and that a further 390 tickets fall into various categories like being cancelled, in dispute or having been withdrawn.
The province has said people with violation tickets could request a court lower the fine if they don't have the money to pay them.
It says repayment arrangements can also be requested and will be considered by ICBC depending on financial needs.
