Rogue drivers to be let off hook in police protest
If you're interested in committing a minor motoring offence in France, and getting away with it, then Monday is your day. A leading police union has called on officers not to issue fines for driving offences, in protest over government reforms.
French police do not have the right to strike but they do have the right to protest in other, more inventive ways.
On Monday, the country’s second largest police union Alliance has called for a day of action that will not please government accountants but will be good news for rogue motorists.
Alliance has called on its officers not to issue any penalty notices, known as PVs in France, to drivers for minor offences.
The day of action, called "A day without PV", is in protest against recently-unveiled government plans to reform the penal and pensions systems.
“Justice must support the victims and genuinely punish the criminals,” said the union in a statement, which points to their unhappiness at planned reforms that will look at alternative punishments to prison, such as probation.
Alliance is also angry at reforms of the pension system which it says should not be touched because of the “difficulty of the job”.
But a word of warning for those motorists who think Monday is a day for putting their foot down and ignoring speed limits.
Officers have been told only to ignore minor driving offences, such as parking or “traffic violations”. Any serious officers or emergency infringements will still be processed.
The union’s members will be out on the streets on Monday at trains stations, markets, motorway tolls, in order “to meet the people”.
Instead of putting a penalty notice under windscreen wipers they will place a ‘fake PV” including a petition in support of the police.
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French police do not have the right to strike but they do have the right to protest in other, more inventive ways.
On Monday, the country’s second largest police union Alliance has called for a day of action that will not please government accountants but will be good news for rogue motorists.
Alliance has called on its officers not to issue any penalty notices, known as PVs in France, to drivers for minor offences.
The day of action, called "A day without PV", is in protest against recently-unveiled government plans to reform the penal and pensions systems.
“Justice must support the victims and genuinely punish the criminals,” said the union in a statement, which points to their unhappiness at planned reforms that will look at alternative punishments to prison, such as probation.
Alliance is also angry at reforms of the pension system which it says should not be touched because of the “difficulty of the job”.
But a word of warning for those motorists who think Monday is a day for putting their foot down and ignoring speed limits.
Officers have been told only to ignore minor driving offences, such as parking or “traffic violations”. Any serious officers or emergency infringements will still be processed.
The union’s members will be out on the streets on Monday at trains stations, markets, motorway tolls, in order “to meet the people”.
Instead of putting a penalty notice under windscreen wipers they will place a ‘fake PV” including a petition in support of the police.
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