HOBOKEN — Hoboken City Council President Ravi Bhalla said Wednesday that even though he received tickets from police Tuesday for driving with a suspended license and other alleged violations, it was due to a misunderstanding.
Bhalla said the tickets were for allegedly making an improper turn at a traffic signal, driving with a suspended license, driving with an expired license, and failure to exhibit insurance documentation.
Bhalla said that the more “serious summons,” the suspended license situation, was the result of a miscommunication between the New York and New Jersey motor vehicle commissions. According to Bhalla, the New Jersey MVC did not receive the information that Bhalla had paid a parking ticket he received in New York City last September.
“I paid that New York City ticket in September 2011,” said Bhalla, who is a local attorney. He said he obtained proof and was recently told that the ticket would be lifted.
Bhalla also said that his car was insured, and he simply did not have the documentation on him. He also denied an on-line report that his car was towed.
Bhalla also said that he was unaware that his license had expired. He said the expiration date was May 31.
“I hadn’t realized [that] my license expired for 12 days,” said Bhalla, “and that’s also been renewed now.”
Bhalla added that he would plead “not guilty” to the traffic signal ticket, and that he expected the other tickets to be dismissed.
“At the end of the day, [this] is based on a misunderstanding between the New York and New Jersey MVC’s,” said Bhalla. -Stephen LaMarca
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