Harper Initiative to Crack Down on Turnpike Toll Violators Awaiting Governor’s Signature to Become Law
HARRISBURG – The Pennsylvania Turnpike could soon have a new tool to help it collect unpaid tolls under legislation proposed by Rep. Kate Harper (R-Montgomery) and now on the governor’s desk awaiting his signature.
Under the bill, the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) would be authorized to suspend the registration of a vehicle owner who habitually skips out on paying tolls.
“The Turnpike is losing millions of dollars each year as a result of unpaid tolls, and under current law there are no consequences for those drivers who do so repeatedly,” Harper said. “To ensure the Turnpike continues to have the funding it needs to maintain the highway system, and to be fair to those of us who abide by the law and pay our tolls, we need to make sure everyone who uses the highway is paying his or her fair share.”
According to Turnpike officials, the agency wrote off $5.4 million in tolls from violators who refused to pay in fiscal year 2016, an increase of 45 percent from the previous year.
House Bill 2025, which was amended to include Harper’s
House Bill 1782, would allow PennDOT to suspend the vehicle registration of an owner or registrant who has failed to pay or is in default of six or more payments, or has incurred unpaid tolls or administrative fees of $500. The tolling entity would have to notify the owner or registrant in writing that it intends to seek suspension of that vehicle’s registration, and the period of suspension would continue until the tolling entity notifies PennDOT that the violations are paid, dismissed, reversed on appeal or canceled, or that the owner has entered into an installment agreement with the tolling entity.
“This bill is not seeking to punish the driver who makes an honest mistake,” Harper said. “It is geared to those drivers who knowingly go through an EZPass lane without the intent to pay. This has become a major problem for the Turnpike, and with the eventual transition to all-electronic tolling, the problem could become even bigger.”
Once signed into law, the bill would take effect in nine months.
Representative Kate Harper
61st District
Pennsylvania House of Representatives
Media Contact: Rep. Harper’s Blue Bell Office
610.277.3230
KateHarper.net /
Facebook.com/RepKateHarper
kharper@pahousegop.com