3 On Your Side: $33 Million In Unpaid Tolls On PA Turnpike Last Year
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- No one likes to pay highway tolls. But if you're a driver on the Pennsylvania Turnpike, you're supposed to pay because it's required. But as 3 On Your Side Consumer Reporter Jim Donovan shows us, thousands of drivers are scoffing at the tolls and they're getting away with it.
It's a common scene at Turnpike toll booths across Pennsylvania. Drivers sliding through the EZPass lane with no EZPass showing and the red light still shining.
It's not likely that you'll see a state trooper in your rear view mirror if you've evaded a toll. Instead the toll booth cameras will capture your license plate and you'll get a bill in the mail. Since the Turnpike won't know where your trip started, the toll will be calculated to the furthest point, plus they'll add a $25 dollar processing fee - consider that to be your fine. According to Turnpike Commission Chairman Sean Logan, "We do about 1.5 million notices each year and we aggressively try to find those 1.5 million people."
Some drivers know they've got a letter coming. Driver Imogene Fink said, "I deserved it. I knew I'm just glad it wasn't any more than it was." Imogene paid her bill. But many violators don't respond.
Last year the Pennsylvania Turnpike sent out 886,000 first notices. About half paid up. A second notice went out and another 20% responded. The rest go to a collection agency. Commission Chairman Logan says, "When you talk about 1.5 million people and we only collect 70% of those, those are not good numbers."
Logan says that when the fiscal year ended in May the Turnpike had $33.3 million dollars outstanding in unpaid tolls. But his hands are tied when it comes to taking extra measures to collect the money. The state legislature has repeatedly refused to give the Turnpike Commission the authority it needs to collect.
According to Logan, "We are not PennDOT, we are the Turnpike Commission. So if you are a habitual violator or run up a huge bill with us, I can't put points on your license or go after your registration."
State Representative Hal English understands the frustration, especially when money is so tight. He says, "The Turnpike does have to rely on the legislature to give it some teeth." Until that happens it leaves responsible, honest drivers, holding the bag.
In May the Turnpike gave up on ever collecting $3.7 million dollars, they just wrote it off, and we're told they can't even report the violators to credit bureaus. Meanwhile the problem and the losses will multiply as the turnpike moves towards all electronic tolling.
If you're wondering what happens in other states, well in New Jersey toll evaders can be fined up to $500 and/or spend 30 days in jail. While Ohio solved a similar problem by adding gates to the EZPass lanes, but that's not something being considered in Pennsylvania.