The new online portal to pay roadside fines provides an alternative to the chip and PIN system meaning that payments can be made from anywhere at any time by anyone nominated by the driver receiving the fine.

Commercial drivers can be stopped by the police or a DVSA officer at any time if they wish to carry out spot checks on your vehicle. These checks can happen anywhere, whether it be on the roadside or at dedicated testing locations.

Offences that could result in roadside fines

Officers can check for a number of potential offences including:

• Type of load permitted and authorised load weights
• Mechanical faults and general roadworthiness
• Tachograph records
• Ensuring you have a valid occupational driving licence

Fixed penalties are issued for offences, often increasing in severity depending on the offence committed. In serious cases, the police or DVSA can issue a prohibition notice which can prevent you from continuing to drive the vehicle until you get it fixed. However, if the offence is extremely serious, you could be liable for prosecution too.

More information about roadside prohibitions is available from the gov.uk website.

Fixed penalty roadside fines can range from £50 to £300, but you can still be taken to court for more serious offences where a judge could decide to levy a heavier fine. Some fines could also include points being added to your licence.

How the gov.uk portal works

Using the portal is meant to make it much easier for roadside fines to be paid.

If you’re issued with a roadside fine, the officer needs an email address or mobile phone number of who will pay it. The payee receives a notification from the DVSA with a payment code and a link to pay via the portal. After payment has been made (using a credit or debit card), the DVSA send a confirmation via email or text.

Interestingly, this new system also informs the DVSA examiner when the fine is paid; useful if your vehicle has been issued with a prohibition notice.

What are your thoughts on the new portal to pay roadside fines?

Will it speed up the process?

Do you think it’ll help to free up resources so that officers can concentrate on the most serious offences?