Foreign diplomats owe more 1 million pounds in parking fines

LONDON - A look at foreign diplomats and the illegal way they park their vehicles has revealed that they owe more than 1 million pounds in parking fines to England.

The council revealed that nearly two-thirds of fines owed to the City of Westminster in Central London have not been paid.

In a league table compiled by Westminster, Kazakhstan is shown as the worst offender, with its vehicles owing more than 189,640 pounds in fines generated from 1,715 unpaid tickets.

One of its diplomats, the driver of a black BMW 318i has racked up an impressive total of 471 unpaid tickets, worth a total of 53,820 pounds.

Sudan comes in second with 108,240 pounds in fines for 1,005 unpaid tickets, with more than half owed by just two drivers who have accumulated 56,320 pounds in fines between them after dodging 544 penalty charge notices.

While diplomats are expected to obey the laws of host countries, they are exempt from prosecution under international law.

According to Westminster 100 embassies have run up unpaid parking fines with Afghanistan, China and Saudi Arabia the other major serial offenders.

“All motorists who break traffic rules should be subject to the same penalties, regardless of their citizenship, nationality or job title,” the Telegraph quoted Cllr Lee Rowley, the council’s cabinet member for parking, as saying.

“It’s time these offending diplomats started to respect the rules and regulations of the UK and pay their parking tickets like everyone else,” he stated. (ANI)