As from this month, the performance of Guardia Civil Trafico officers is to be judged by the number of fines issued, points being allocated for penalising drivers for a range of traffic offences and infringements of the law.
The AUGC, which represents the Guardia Civil officers, believe this is a move to get around the so-called ‘bolis caídos’ (dropped pen) strike which has seen a decrease in the number of fines being issued. The Guardia Civil action is allegedly a protest against a cut in wages.
Under the new system, points will be awarded as follows:
- 1 point: Helping someone on the road
- 2 points: Issuing a fine for speeding, no seatbelt, talking on a mobile phone and for attending an accident scene
- 4 points: Infractions involving the transport of people or merchandise (lorries, buses, taxis)
- 5 points: Carrying out a breathalyser test
- 9 points: For a positive breathalyser result
According to an internal memo obtained by El Pais, it is suspected that a €150 bonus for the agents will become payable if they earn enough points.
The latest figures show that 58,000 fines were issued in June this year, while 188,000 were issued in the same month last year.
The AUGC notes that despite the fall in the number of fines issued in May and June, the number of recorded fatalities on the roads was down 12.9% on last year. This, they believe, indicates that traffic fines are mainly used to raise funds and that such penalties have no effect on the number of accidents.