- Oklahoma Turnpike Defends Practice Of Blocking Registration Renewals Over Unpaid Tolls
- New York Governor Proposes Heightened Penalties For Toll Evasion
- Bay Area Toll Authority Gets Results Helping Low-Income Drivers Clear Toll Debt
- These are just some of the toll industry developments TRN is following.
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Oklahoma Turnpike Defends Practice Of Blocking Registration Renewals Over Unpaid Tolls
Responding to a recently introduced bill that would prohibit Oklahoma authorities from blocking the renewal of a vehicle’s registration if the owner has outstanding toll bills, the Oklahoma Turnpike Authority (OTA) defends the practice, KOCO reports. OTA said registration holds are necessary leverage to force payment when repeated warnings produce no action. “We don’t have the ability to turn off turnpike access for motorists,” said OTA spokesperson Lisa Shearer-Salim. “[Scofflaws can] access the turnpike whether they paid for it or not, but their actions matter to the system as a whole and to other customers who are doing the right thing and paying their tolls.” The new bill, HB 2968, was sponsored by State Representative Annie Menz (D-45), who claims “constituents constantly reach out to her, worried about not being able to legally drive when they fall behind on toll payments.”
Oklahoma Oklahoma Department of Transportation (ODOT) Oklahoma Turnpike Authority (OTA) ScofflawsNew York Governor Proposes Heightened Penalties For Toll Evasion
New York Post reports, New York Governor Kathy Hochul (D) included “a ‘toll fraud’ proposal in her $233 billion state budget plan. The measure would allow cops to charge drivers with Class A misdemeanor toll theft — defined as fraudulently attempting to obtain a credit, discount or exemption from tolls. Scammers who evade paying tolls valued at more than $1,000 could get slapped with a Class E felony and a Class D felony for pocketing tolls valued at more than $3,000.” The proposal, if adopted by the legislature, would also stiffen penalties for intentionally obscuring a license plate from toll system readers and selling fraudulent plates. According to the newspaper, “The crackdown would generate an additional $35 million to $55 million for toll collection agencies, including the MTA and the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, and take place one year after becoming law.”
AET (All-Electronic Tolling) Congestion Pricing ETC Systems Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) New York New York City PANYNJ ScofflawsBay Area Toll Authority Gets Results Helping Low-Income Drivers Clear Toll Debt
According to the Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC), data released at the January 10 meeting of the Bay Area Toll Authority (BATA) Oversight Committee suggests it is finding traction in collecting outstanding debts from low-income customers. Through the Bay Area Toll Payment Plan program established last year, BATA offers to waive violation fees and set up a payment plan for qualifying customers who have outstanding balances of $100 or more. Between July and November, payment plans had been established for almost $1.25 million in overdue debt, with $133,000 already collected. Nearly 10 percent of customers who have enrolled in the program have already completed their payment obligations. MTC’s news release provides an overview of average outstanding balances and average monthly payments, as well as background on the program and more detail on eligibility.
Bay Area Toll Authority (San Francisco) (BATA) California ETC Systems FasTrak Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC) San Francisco Bay Area (CA) ScofflawsThese are just some of the toll industry developments TRN is following.
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