ATHENS – Going after people of means who think they can violate traffic laws at will and get off with minor fines, Greece’s Infrastructure and Transports Ministry has proposed a plan to base the penalties on a violator’s income.

The scheme was announced by Minister Christos Spritzis during his appearance on the state-run broadcaster’s morning current affairs program.

The ruling Radical Left SYRIZA government said a draft bill will be tabled in Parliament in the next few days to hike fines for the rich and people who have sufficient incomes to pay more based on the violation, such as speeding, running red lights on parking on sidewalks, all of which are common in Greece.

Penalties would be imposed after a check on a violator’s income although many rich hide their income in secret foreign accounts to also cheat on taxes and frequently get away with it while those with lower incomes get pounded by the courts.

Spritzis said his leftist-rightist coalition government wants to “combat the reasoning of ‘I have money to pay and can skirt the law,’” a usual occurrence in Greece where the rich get away with crimes because they have the money and influence.