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Senate supports hybrids in HOV Bill also ups fines for violators
Senate approves bill extending HOV exemption for hybrids, increasing fines for violators
Date published: 2/3/2006
By KELLY HANNON The Virginia Senate has voted to allow hybrid vehicles to use high-occupancy vehicle lanes until July 2007, extending the exemption for the pollution-cutting cars for another year. But the same Senate bill would raise fines for motorists who violate the three-passenger minimum for HOV. The fine for first-time HOV violators would increase from $50 to $125. Violators would pay $250 on the second offense, $500 on the third and $1,000 on the fourth. Virginia last increased fines in 2004, and began adding negative points to a motorist's driving record for third and later offenses. Senate Bill 454 passed in a 35-3 vote Wednesday. It has been sent to the House, where two similar bills have already been introduced. Local Sens. John Chichester, R-Northumberland, Edd Houck, D-Spotsylvania, and Ryan McDougle, R-Mechanicsville, supported the extension. Houck said it wasn't a "clear-cut" vote for him because he didn't want to harm the slug-line method of carpooling. He voted for the bill because of its environmental benefit and to keep a promise to hybrid owners. "I believe we need to be encouraging the use of clean-burning automobiles. The air quality is becoming more and more of an issue in our particular area," Houck said. Also, owners "made an investment to buy the hybrid vehicle and one of the reasons they did it was access to HOV," he said. "It seems a bit disingenuous that people make an investment and have done what we've promoted them to do, and then we change the rules on them." McDougle also said he wanted to support motorists who purchased hybrids with the intent of driving them in HOV lanes. "We need to make sure they have the ability to do that for one more year," McDougle said. Unless both houses approve the bill, the exemption will expire July 1. Chichester could not be reached for comment yesterday. There are 11,366 vehicles with Clean Special Fuel license plates registered in Virginia, according to the Department of Motor Vehicles. Most--10,478--are in Northern Virginia localities and the Fredericksburg area. In October 2004, there were 5,281 Clean Special Fuel vehicles registered in Virginia. The Virginia General Assembly has the authority to regulate HOV lanes, including allowing hybrid vehicles to use them during peak traffic times, until Sept. 30, 2009.
Date published: 2/3/2006
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