Jan. 11, 2016

HARRISBURG – With the Pennsylvania Turnpike losing millions of dollars annually in unpaid tolls, Rep. Kate Harper (R-Montgomery) has introduced legislation to allow the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) to suspend the registration of a vehicle owner who habitually skips out on paying tolls.

“If people cheat the system and continue to get away with it, the Turnpike will lose more and more of the funding it needs to not only support maintenance of the state’s toll roads but other transportation infrastructure as well,” Harper said. “There must be consequences for the actions of people purposely trying to avoid paying tolls, and that is missing under our current law.”

According to figures released by the office of Auditor General Eugene DePasquale, the Turnpike Commission had been faced with more than $33 million in unpaid tolls in the previous fiscal year. However, Turnpike officials report more than $31 million of that was paid after violators were notified of what they owed.

House Bill 1782 would allow PennDOT to suspend the 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.”

The bill will be referred to the House Transportation Committee for review.

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
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