Düsseldorf (dpa / lnw) – North Rhine-Westphalia’s Minister of Justice Benjamin Limbach is against prison sentences for fare evasion. “We can better use our resources in the judiciary,” said the Green politician of the “Rheinische Post” (Wednesday). He is committed to removing the provision “cheating benefits” from the penal code.
“This punishability of driving without a ticket harbors the risk that fines will be imposed on socially disadvantaged people who can neither afford a car nor a ticket but are dependent on public transport,” argued the Minister of Justice. “If they can’t pay these fines, the state’s ultimate response is the sharpest sword, namely imprisonment.” However, such short replacement prison sentences did not improve the situation.
Apart from that, Limbach cited legal reasons for changing the applicable law. Contrary to what is usual in contract law, if you drive without a ticket, civil law claims by the transport company would also be enforced with criminal law. The department heads of the federal states have already asked Federal Justice Minister Marco Buschmann (FDP) to submit a proposal for a change in the law.
