OFFENDERS caught under Government's new Electronic Vehicle Registration (EVR) scheme have paid close to $50,000 in fines since it was initiated last month.

The greatest infractions saw one person ordered to pay $19,000, and another $15,000, for driving their vehicles on the road illegally.

The initiative, which went into effect July 1, requires four-wheeled vehicles to have a Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) tag on their windscreens so EVR readers may detect those which are uninsured and/or unlicensed and prosecute their owners.

"We're very pleased," said acting Transport Control Department (TCD) director Chris Spencer. "It's far outdone our expectations. It's very, very efficient. I would guess there are now about 1,120 vehicles not tagged, of the 28,000 now on the road."

Bermuda was losing an estimated $11 million every five years due to the 5,000 vehicles on the road illegally. The number represented seven per cent of the island's total traffic. Government's initial hope was to reduce that to less than one per cent.

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"Since July 1, 2008 the system has detected 1,508 violations," Mr. Spencer continued. "There are many repeat offenders. One registered owner was recently issued with several summonses totalling over $15,000 for being detected by several readers on numerous occasions."

Fines are $1000 and $750 respectively, for uninsured and unlicensed vehicles. Citations are given each time a driver passes any of four EVR readers on the island - at Blue Hole Hill, Devonshire Post Office, The Lane and South Road. The money is paid into Government's Consolidated Fund.

"Once upon a time it was if a driver was stopped by a police officer or a TCD traffic officer, they would be reported," Mr. Spencer explained. "That's no longer the case. If they drive past a reader they will be detected. Every vehicle that passes one of the readers is detected by a motion sensor and the information contained on the EVR tag's chip is read instantaneously.

"The system takes a picture of all unlicensed vehicles and those without a tag affixed to (the) front windscreen. Offenders will be reported for every offence committed if they drive past one of the EVR readers. In most instances the drivers have no choice. They have to drive by the readers on a daily basis.

"Offenders will be reported for every offence committed if they drive past one of the EVR readers. Therefore, a person who either - through ignorance or choice - drives along the same route to work every day of the week, will be reported at least ten times. Bear in mind this is just for one week."

Drivers are contacted by telephone within a matter of days, and told of the fine incurred.

"The minimum fine is $1750," Mr. Spencer continued. "Most people can get their car licensed and insured for less than that. So it makes sense to do so. It's very rare to have a single offence. Most are multiple. In one case, a person was in court last Thursday and it was found they had three additional offences - they may have driven to court in the vehicle."

He added that cars are also subject to a fine should they not have the Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) tag attached to their windscreen.

"Some that are untagged are licensed and insured. It could be that the driver is not aware (of the legislation) or that they've forgotten or that they came to get tagged and (the mechanism) wasn't available and they haven't come back. In most cases people only come to TCD once a year - to license their vehicle."

When the initiative first took effect in July, Premier and Transport Minister Ewart Brown said residents had an additional 30 days to comply with the new legislation before vehicles without the RFID tag were subject to fines.

"It's just a matter of making that trip," Mr. Spencer said. "(The process) only takes 30 seconds."