PennDOT Fees Go Up Again To Fund Roads, Bridges & Transit
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- If you thought the gasoline tax hike in Pennsylvania on Jan. 1 was the last of the tax increases associated with the Transportation Funding Bill -- well, think again.
"The common man ends up taking all the burden," says Tre Poole, of West End.
Effective April 1, certain PennDOT fees went up -- like the title to your car that every owner has. That jumped from $22.50 to $50.00.
Or the fee for an official non-driver identification card that went from $13.50 to $27.50.
"I think they should be able to pull the money from taxes other than that," says Cheryl Hajduk of South Park.
PennDOT defends the increases because of the need to spend more money on roads, bridges and public transit.
"These fees haven't changed in over 17 years. Again, I'd like to remind folks this is all for a very good cause. This is a way to make sure that our highways are safer, that bridges are safer, that day-to-day travel, getting rid of potholes -- that's what these fees have been designed to go toward," PennDOT community relations coordinator Jan McKnight told KDKA money editor Jon Delano.
This is not the end to those increased taxes and fees under the Transportation Funding Bill. We'll see more on July 1 and even more in 2015.
Watch for fees to go up on everything from license plates, to inspection stickers, to vanity plates, to driver license renewals, and annual vehicle registration renewals, too.
"The purpose for these increases is safety, plain and simple," adds McKnight. "It's going for better roads, better bridges, safer travels for you and your family."
RELATED LINKS:
Do Higher PennDOT Fees, Gas Tax Hikes Violate Governor's Campaign Pledge? (4/1/14)
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