A CITY is looking to claw back $5 million in unpaid tickets - they've launched a new program that targets "scofflaws." The Texas city passed a new road law that will prevent drivers from accessing a helpful internet tool until they pay. The Bryan City Council quietly passed a measure at their August meeting that will prevent thousands of drivers from renewing their vehicle registrations online, according to local radio station WTAW .
Car owners will regain online access once they settle up on outstanding municipal court fines. The council approved the "scofflaw" program without any public discussion. In a June meeting, Bryan’s Municipal Court's administrator, Chad Eixmann, presented findings around unpaid fines.
Read More on Road Laws Eixmann revealed that 10,000 individuals hadn't paid their infractions. He said that drivers in the city owe more than $5 million in unpaid fines. The program allows a third-party contractor to flag vehicles through the Texas DMV.
The contractor the city hires will not charge the city or the vehicle owners for this service. Most read in Motors Bryan joins dozens of US cities grappling with millions of dollars worth of unpaid tickets. TICKET FRENZY Washington DC , New York City, and San Francisco have all launched programs hoping to reign in fares from unpaid tickets.
Drivers in San Francisco owed as much as $1.6 billion in ticket fees. Multiple car owners said their fees continued to compound and led to thousands of dollars in fines they could.