Paul De Coninck, a 56-year-old brewery manager, usually travels to work on his bike but had to switch to driving due to a knee injury. However, his garage is located in a car-free zone, which has resulted in him receiving 13 fines of 58 euros each for not having the necessary permit. He explains that this was due to an error made by the city of Ghent, which has resulted in a total amount of 754 euros. Despite trying to rectify the situation, Paul is still facing fines for driving through prohibited areas. He believes the system is too rigid and unfair and hopes to receive reimbursement but at present, no one is offering assistance.
Usually, Paul De Coninck takes his bike. However, this 56-year-old brewery manager injured his knee. Owner of a garage at home, he now drives to work.
However, his garage is in a car-free zone. “Every year, it’s a chore to renew my license. I received thirteen fines of 58 euros each time. And all this because of an error by the city of Ghent. It is incomprehensible, ”he explains to our colleagues from HLN. The total amount is 754 euros.
Rigid system
After several exchanges of emails, phone calls, he was finally supported to redo his permit, but not to his advantage: “Apparently, she had not asked for an annual permit, but a daily permit. By mistake, of course”. A mistake that will cost him dearly.
He will obviously hit the road again in the prohibited areas, thus accumulating fines as he goes along. “This whole system is just rigid. I was ‘flashed’ in the same place, around the same time, every time. Everyone needs to understand that this is not right,” Paul tells HLN.
At the moment, no one is helping him. He therefore does not know if he will be reimbursed.
In conclusion, the story of Paul De Coninck highlights the frustration that can come with rigid systems and bureaucratic errors. Despite communicating with the city of Ghent, he still faces fines for an error that was not his own. It remains to be seen whether he will be reimbursed for the fines he has already paid. Hopefully, his story will encourage a review of the car-free zone permit system to prevent similar situations from happening in the future.