New Justice Minister Knut Storberget told newspaper Aftenposten on Monday that he won't roll back the hike in fines set by the last government. "I believe it would send a very bad signal if we reduced the level of fines," Storberget said.

The new fines start as high as NOK 2,900 (nearly USD 500) even for minor speeding infractions of 10 kilometers (six miles) an hour. Many have argued that the size of the fines are way out of proportion to the severity of the crime, and some state officials have implied they were raised more as a means of raising money for state coffers than as a means of punishment.

One motorist fined heavily for driving 11 kilometers (6.6 miles) an hour over the speed limit took the state to court and is considering appealing all the way to the supreme court to test the validity of the new fines.

The state highway department (Vegdirektoratet), meanwhile, is moving forward with plans to set up around 300 new speed cameras on Norwegian roads during the next three years. There are around 330 in operation at present.

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