NU.nl, 30 January 2015: 'Amsterdam may not fine parkers for incorrectly entering license plate number'

“Amsterdam municipality may not impose a parking fine on parkers who enter their license plate number incorrectly, but can prove they have paid.

The Amsterdam court ruled that again on Friday.

The case had been brought by chairman Bas Filippini of the Privacy First foundation, who had been fined after he deliberately entered a fake number plate.

Filippini believes the registration and storage of license plates violates privacy laws. Because he could prove with a receipt that the parking fee had indeed been paid, the court annulled the fine. In addition, the municipality must reimburse the legal costs.

Contrary to law

"In the court's opinion, the municipality's position that parking without proper insertion of the license plate makes parking unpaid is contrary to law," the court said.

The Amsterdam municipality disagrees with the ruling and wants the Supreme Court to rule on the issue.

The court did not rule on the accusation that license plate parking violates privacy laws, as Privacy First claims.

Similar case

In May 2014, the court reached the same verdict in a similar case. Then, a motorist failed to enter the correct license plate number because the parking machine was not functioning properly.

According to a municipal spokeswoman for the Infrastructure, Traffic and Transport Department, the municipality fines parkers if it is not "visually visible" whether they have paid for parking. They can then appeal the fine.

"This is no different from the past," the spokeswoman said. "Back then, the paper ticket that had to be behind the windscreen could also blow away or get lost."

Cost savings

Amsterdam was one of the first municipalities to introduce 'license plate parking'. (...) Some other cities have also since introduced this way of paid parking."

Source: http://www.nu.nl/amsterdam/3982877/amsterdam-mag-parkeerders-bij-verkeerd-invoeren-kenteken-niet-beboeten.html, 30 January 2015.