A License Plate Reader (LPR) hit flagged this vehicle as a Persistent Toll Violator (PTV) with a suspended registration, and an uninsured driver. Photo credit (Marc A. Hermann / MTA)
NEW YORK (1010 WINS/WCBS 880) – MTA Bridges and Tunnels officers seized the cars of 44 drivers who violated tolls and owed a combined $922,500 in unpaid fees on the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge following a four-day blitz, officials said Thursday.
“Ninety-eight percent of people who cross the bridge pay their tolls,” MTA Chair and CEO Janno Lieber told WCBS 880. “Very small percentage of people don't. And there are a lot of them who own fancy cars, Mercedes, Porsches or whatever and, and they're racking up bills.”
The top offender owed over $52,000 in tolls and fees, according to the MTA, which calculated the debt.
From Jan. 1 to Dec. 13, 2023, officers stopped 2,705 vehicles, 50% more than the same period in 2022, and more than the total 1,880 vehicles stopped in all of 2022.
Since the start of the year, they have also given out 2,933 tickets for covered or blocked license plates.
“Our message is simple. If you cover your license plate or use fake plates, you will pay the price. If you’re a repeat offender, your car is going to be seized and you could get arrested,” Lieber said in a statement. “This is about fundamental fairness. It's not right when drivers in Mercedes and Porsches come onto our bridges and through tunnels and skip out on thousands of dollars in tolls. They're taking the public's money, and New Yorkers are not going to put up with it.”
The drivers' vehicles were towed, and their registrations have been recommended for suspension by the state DMV.
Drivers skipping out on paying tolls at MTA tunnels and bridges should be aware that transit authorities are cracking down.