Zele (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – Thousands of Zele residents will receive money back from wrongly issued GAS fines because of the failure of the provincial computer system in late 2024. Deputy Joke Schauvliege verified that the reminder letters were delivered in error to people who successfully paid their fines.
The residents of Zele in Belgium will receive compensation after the provincial IT system delivers incorrect GAS fines due to technical faults. The technical bug resulted in administrative staff sending reminder letters to people who already settled their fines. During a provincial council meeting, Deputy Joke Schauvliege reported that most paying citizens received their refunds, but additional fund distributions will be handled shortly.
System errors in an IT framework occurred throughout the later part of 2024. Schauvliege reported that the IT system experienced a failure during the period between October and December 2024.
Our system was struggling with teething problems. When everything was back in order, our services were so happy that they quickly sent out reminder letters. In the meantime, most residents have already received their money back. For a number of people, that has yet to happen. They do not have to worry. This is absolutely not something that can be repeated.
How does this fit into broader trends?
License plate recognition cameras operated by smart technologies now serve as a frequently used method for municipality fine collection in various Belgian cities. The software solutions work to improve operational flow without human error involvement. Advanced technology systems experience malfunction just like any other system, as demonstrated by Zele.
The Belgian municipal authorities make GAS (Gemeentelijke Administrative Sanctions) fines their main instrument to manage public order alongside providing funding for local services. Municipalities experience both dissatisfaction among the public and financial disruptions when errors occur in the administration of such programs.
Official reports reveal this type of automated fine system failure has previously happened elsewhere but at a smaller magnitude than Zele’s case. Zele implements the provincial system because it matches wider trends focusing on streamlining administrative processes for better efficiency.
