Monday, 23 May 2016 17:57

Gran Canaria Driving: Everything You Need to Know About Fines

How to pay Gran Canaria traffic and parking fines How to pay Gran Canaria traffic and parking fines www.photosgrancanaria.com

Your guide to how to deal with parking and traffic fines while on holiday in Gran Canaria.

It's a pain but it happens. You drive too fast on the motorway or misunderstand the parking rules and you get a fine. The basic rule is that the quicker you pay, the cheaper it is. Here's how you pay Gran Canaria fines if you are here on holiday.

On-the-spot traffic fines in Gran Canaria

Tourists pulled over for speeding, or for things like dangerous driving or a broken tail light, pay an on-the-spot fine. If you have the cash on you, everything is simple. The policeman gives you a ticket, you pay the fine (with a 50% quick pay reduction), you get a receipt and off you go.

If you don't have any money on you, things are more of a pain. You still have to pay so the police have to take you back to your hotel, or to a cashpoint, to get the cash. They only accept euros so if your holiday cash in another currency, you have to change it. 

Some people feel like paying cash is an invitation to corruption, but you should always get a receipt. Gran Canaria's traffic police plan to equip their roadside teams with card readers so that they can charge most people on the spot without taking cash.

Speeding fines that arrive once you get home

Most speeding fines in Gran Canaria come from static cameras and arrive several weeks after you get flashed. As a non-resident, the police get your car rental company to give them your address, then send you the fine. The insurance companies also charge you around 50 euros for the admin involved in passing on your contact details. 

If you don't pay a traffic fine, you could well find that car rental companies everywhere in Spain refuse to let you rent a car in the future. 

Paying these days is pretty straightforward as you do it online via this Spanish Government website. It's best to pay them as soon as they arrive as you get a 50% discount for early payment.

Parking fines in Gran Canaria

If you park in a metered zone with blue or green lines and get a ticket, just annul it in the machine. This costs three euros. If you don't bother, you are unlikely to hear anything more because the blue zones are run by a private company and it's not worth their while chasing non-residents.

If you get a parking fine from the police, it's best to pay it online.  Otherwise, your hire car company may make extra charges. 

Appealing Gran Canaria fines

This is almost impossible unless you live on the island and is unlikely to succeed. Speeding fines include a large margin of error and the police use their mobile phones to document parking infractions.

Appealing a Gran Canaria fine as a non-resident just isn't worth the effort unless the fine was outrageous. If you appeal you also lose the early pay reduction. 

Renting a car in Gran Canaria

If you choose to explore Gran Canaria by car, take all the hassle out of renting by using Mr Car Hire Gran Canaria...

Mr Car Hire, an idependent rental broker, offers a complete Gran Canaria hire car service with car-to-door delivery anywhere on the island, fully comprehensive insurance and 24/7/365 support. 

Best of all, he does it at great prices and offers top service, no queues, dirty cars or long waiting times.

Rent your car via Mr Car Hire and you'll get:

  • A wide choice of cars at reasonable prices with absolutely no hidden extras
  • Delivery to anywhere in Gran Canaria and car collection anywhere on the island
  • Comprehensive insurance and 24/7/365 support and breakdown cover
  • Personal service and a completely stress-free car rental experience

Contact him right here and Mr Car Hire be right back in touch.

Published in Transport

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Tip of the day

  • Exchange Money In Gran Canaria Or At Home?
    Exchange Money In Gran Canaria Or At Home?

    Visitors to Gran Canaria often ask whether it is better to exchange their local currency for euros at home or in Gran Canaria. 

    The answer is that it is almost always better to buy your euros at home than it is to bring pounds to Gran Canaria and use local banks or currency exchanges. This rule of thumb applies all over the world. A currency is almost always cheaper the further away you are from the place you can spend it (because demand for it is lower). 

    Exchange rates are almost always better at home than in Gran Canaria

    You are very likely to get a better exchange rate using a British currency exchange specialist or local bank. Many of these companies will deliver your euros to your home.

    One of the best rates in the UK is often from the post office, especially if you do it well in advance.

    The only way you'll get a better rate in Gran Canaria than at home is if the exchange rate changes while you are travelling and this is rare. 

    You also have to bear in mind that currency exchanges in Gran Canaria are getting rarer and some local banks don't exchange money for non-clients. 

    To Transfer large amouynts of money to Gran Canaria, or to make regular transfers, always use a reputable currency broker such as Currencies Direct. This will save you money on exchange rates and bank charges and is highky secure. 

    The risk of bringing cash to Gran Canaria

    Another important factor to consider is the risk of bringing cash to Gran Canaria: If it is lost or stolen, there is no way of getting it back. 

    It is much safer to bring a debit or credit card and use local bank ATMs to take out money. These days, a good option is a pre-charged debit card. 

    Cards may be slightly more expensive that carrying cash, unless you seek out a bank card with low commissions, but it is much more secure. 

    Bank ATMs like Bankia, Santander and BBVA often charge lower rates than the ATMs in shopping centres and busy tourist areas.

    Alex Says: Always select the Euro option at ATMs in Gran Canaria because the exchange rate is much better than if you opt for the Local Currency option. The same applies when you pay by card in shops and restaurants.

    See our Gran Canaria Tips section for more nuggets of useful local information.

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