The introduction yesterday of automatic fines for speeders may end the hassle of having to spend an entire morning in a packed court room, but offenders will be forking out more cash instead.

Transport Minister the Hon. Ralph Marshall announced that as of next month those caught speeding up to 50 kph will be fined $100 and up to 54 kph, $150 -- representing a 25-50 percent increase in the fines currently being meted out in Magistrates' Court.

People caught driving at speeds of more than 54 kph will still be dealt with in Magistrates' Court, but fines handed down will also be raised.

The speeding fine "guidance schedule'' for magistrates is being completely readjusted because of the new system, Magistrates' Court administrative officer Mr. Tracey Kelly said.

"Fines will be slightly increased so they are consistent and we don't have people caught at higher speeds being given lower fines than those caught at lower speeds,'' he said.

He said the current schedule calls for those speeding up to 50 kph to be fined a maximum of $75 and up to 54 kph, $100.

Opposition spokesman for Transport Mr. Walter Lister called the increases accompanying the new system "rather exorbitant''.

He said although the Progressive Labour Party supports the new system of automatic speeding fines it does have questions and concerns about increasing the fines.

"It's a bit of an overkill,'' Mr. Lister said. "I don't see why they have to be raised. It's not in the interest of the community.'' But Mr. Marshall defended the increases saying the new system will save people from having to take a morning off to go to court. He added the maximum fine for speeding up to 54 kph is currently $500.

"Magistrates have just not been fining people the maximum,'' he said. Other advantages of the new system, he said, include less paperwork, fewer people appearing in court for speeding offences and a quicker and easier way of collecting fines resulting in less pressure on the courts.

Speeders will be given seven days to pay their fines before a warrant goes out for their arrest.

Mr. Marshall said the new system will greatly reduce the some 5,000 speeding cases currently being processed a year. Seventy percent of those 5,000 cases are for speeds of less than 55 kph, he added.

"This means that magistrates must spend a great deal of their time on routine speeding cases,'' Mr. Marshall said. "We want to reduce that to avoid large numbers of drivers appearing in court for speeding offences that could be handled with an automatic fine in the same way that drivers pay parking tickets.'' Mr. Marshall pointed out, however, that drivers must show a current driver's licence in order to receive a speeding ticket under the automatic fine system.

He added: "Initially the speeding offences will not be reckonable. Under the old system there is a mandatory penalty of three to six months off the road for two speeding convictions up to 54 kph within a two-year period. This will not be the case with automatic fines...

"We have moved to this new system to help keep minor speeding offenders out of the courts and to encourage drivers to cut down their speeds and adopt a more reasonable attitude towards driving on our roads. I hope all drivers will cooperate.'' Mr. Marshall pointed out a "down side'' of the new system is that people who have money to spare will abuse it.

But he said his Ministry hoped to soon implement a "demerit'' system whereby people who have been issued a certain number of speeding tickets will go off the road.

However, when the new system comes into effect on August 1, people can be caught speeding up to 54 kph as many times as they can afford without losing their licence, he said.

Acting Assistant Police Commissioner Campbell Simons said the new system will not mean a crackdown on speeders.

He said he hoped it would encourage people to carry their driver's licences and reduce the number of people leaving the scene of accidents because they are off the road.

"This new system will save an awful lot of money, about $180,000, and cut down on paperwork'' he said.