[ad_1]
The city began seizing 46 ice trucks Wednesday as part of "Operation Meltdown" after operators violated the highway code and then escaped fines for nearly a decade, Mayor Bill de Blasio said in a statement. Press.
While operators were distributing frozen lollipops from 2009 to 2017, they also collected 22,000 notices and nearly $ 4.5 million in fine for breaking the highway code, the city said. Operators have been quoted for running red lights, parking near fire hydrants and blocking pedestrian crossings, among other things, the press release said.
"We all know from experience that ice trucks are magnets for kids," said Zachary W. Carter, a city lawyer. "In order to protect this particularly vulnerable category of pedestrians, our traffic rules must be strictly enforced."
To avoid paying fines, operators have created dozens of "fictitious" companies and systematically re-registered trucks from the Department of Motor Vehicles under the name of different companies. According to the press release, as the city's finance department tries to collect a debt, there will be no record of the offending company.
The city has taken legal action against offenders who owe more than $ 10,000 in judgments or unpaid fines, the statement said.
"No New Yorkers are above the law – especially those who try to ignore public safety laws and create dangerous situations for pedestrians, bikers and drivers," said de Blasio in a statement.
[ad_2]
Source link