The fines office at Palma town hall has been receiving a barrage of calls from people who claim to have not received notification of traffic fines. These follow the news that the town hall has opened proceedings against the company responsible for delivery of the fines' notifications. Five employees at the company have been arrested for falsifying acknowledgment of receipt.
Regulations stipulate that the notifying company has to go to a person's address and deliver the notification. If there is no response, it has to return within three days and at a different time. If delivery is then again unsuccessful, a note has to be left informing the person that there is a notification to collect. If, in the end, notification is not received or collected, the fine doubles for minor infractions and trebles for the most serious ones.
The town hall confirms that there has been an increase in the number of calls to the fines office, but suggests that some people may be looking to try and avoid fines - they're trying it on. Cases are being reviewed, and surcharges will be dropped where it can be shown that there was no delivery of the notice.
Meanwhile, the town hall is considering terminating the contract with the company. For its part, the company says that there is a new procedure by which it will be impossible to falsify delivery.