Three Thousand Euro Fine for Painting Yellow Lines

Local Police in the Murcia town of Bullas have fined a neighbour 3,000 euro for painting his own yellow lines outside his garage to prevent other road users from parking.

Picture credit: E. BOTELLA / La Verdad

The resident claims that he has been doing this “for decades” and never before been fined, and will be basing part of his appeal on that fact.

In an interview in La Verdad newspaper, the neighbour explains that his truck is his only source of income, as he uses it to “take swimming pool covers to France and my wife takes turns with me as a driver. I do not earn 3,000 euro a month.”

The fine states that the painting of the lines is an infraction of the Reglamento General de Circulación, “installing, removing, transferring, hiding or modifying road signs without permission and without just cause”, observing the “Installation of a yellow road marking without authorization.”

As part of his defence the man claims that the fine has been raised by an officer who has a grudge against him, after an argument over illegal parking where the man had parked his vehicle in a prohibited area “where everybody parks” and the officer tried to stop him parking there. Plus, according to the neighbour, who has hired a lawyer to defend him, the police have no proof he actually painted the yellow line.

Fine aside, the simplest solution to the problem would be to do what so many other neighbours in the town have done and request permission for the yellow lines through the standard “vado” system, whereas the town hall would assess the location and, if need safe, not only paint the lines for him they would issue a no parking sign which would be enforceable by the police, preventing anybody from parking at the access and egress point.

The “vado” system is designed specifically for this and, in exchange for a very small fee, would have prevented the situation and subsequent fine. More information and application forms are available at your local town hall.