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Fine of 200 euros for non-payment of tolls, the movement will continue to "not pay"

11 February 2011 / 11:02:17  GRReporter
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The bill of the Ministry of Transport which is expected to be passed in the coming days provides a fine of 200 euros for non-payment of tolls and allows the driving license and the registration documents and numbers to be taken away for 20 days. Cases of refusal will be considered violations of the traffic rules and the free traveling in public transport becomes a criminal offense.

The members of the "I do not pay" movement do not intend to stop their campaigns after the vote on the law. They believe the new measures have no legal basis.

"You can not criminalize the lifting of the barrier, nor to define it a violation of traffic rules. What do they want to tell us? That traffic police officers will come to ask for our personal data, because we lift the barrier? There is no logic in this and I think that if they introduce this measure they will get into trouble.

I would not give my personal data in such cases. What will the traffic police office do? Will he take me to the court for a fast-track procedure? Then it will get really funny because the movement will not sit on its hands. If even one member is taken to court for this reason we will witness events like those in Egypt. Here’s how revolutions start.

People are tired already. Unfair measures are being taken. Not everything that is legal is moral. An immoral ruler makes immoral laws, especially within this corruption with the owners of concession companies who are  like bossed to him because they helped him to ascend to power and he, in turn, repays by giving them a state project.”

At today's meeting the movement participants from the region of Attica discussed how they would respond in case the authorities "dare to implement the new law. We will decide how the movement members will react if traffic officer stops them and asks for their personal data, whether other member will go with them to support them if they are being taken to court for fast-track procedure."

Joseph Papadopoulos again emphasized that the movement will continue its protest actions as before. “We will lift the barriers and go without paying, but without causing damage too. At least for now.”

They said from the movement they did not intend to resort to other protest actions.

"We think things have not gone to the extremes and that with our massive campaigns we will force them to retreat. They can not do anything else if nobody pays. What will they do if, for example, 60 or 70 or 80 percent of the people stop paying? Will they send all these people in jail? It doesn’t make any sense. Things will go to the European Parliament and Court. They can not criminalize the lifting of a barrier which belongs to a private company. And on roads for which we have paid thousand times at prices dozens of times higher because they were re-evaluated.”

Participants in the movement said they were determined not to allow interference of persons that could cause problems.

"This is one of the things still to discuss. Because there are more passionate people who could make mistakes which would send away some people from the movement. And if they sit back on their sofas they will never get up because of disappointment.

So, we fight tooth and nail against any party "hats" and take our decisions in open meetings welcoming all who wish to attend. This is the reason more and more people to join the movement.”

Tags: SocietyEconomyCivil movementTollsPublic transportFaredodgers
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