12.02.09
Few “pay up” during TxDOT’s toll amnesty effort
Via ShortCuts, Toll road amnesty ends, with 7% of scofflaws paying up.
After a last-minute rush that jammed Texas Department of Transportation phone lines and kept a service center open until 2 a.m. Tuesday, the agency managed to get about 7 percent of its 151,000 tardy toll payers to make good during a 90-day amnesty period.
The total take out of $3.2 million in tolls owed: $265,217, plus about $500,000 in late fees.
The remaining $3 million or so in unpaid tolls — and an associated $53 million in fees — will now be mostly up to the courts to collect. However, TxDOT in a news release Tuesday signaled at least some willingness to continue haggling with those who might have given up because they were unable to get through Monday on the toll customer service phone line.
“While the 90 percent fee discount offered under the toll violation recovery program will not be extended, customers unable to reach TxDOT before the program deadline are encouraged to call or visit the (customer service center) over the coming weeks to discuss payment of late tolls and fees,” the release said.
However, once a case is filed with a justice of the peace court on any particular unpaid toll, the agency said, bargaining with that customer will cease. [Emphasis added].
It’s key to understand that this was all part of the plan when these roads were planned without a well patrolled toll road that chases down those who don’t pay immediately. (see Going “Cashless” Will Cost Us All) Initially it was marketed as “video tolling”, now “cashless”. TxDOT, et al, knew all along that with video tolling, billing drivers later, some sort of collection and legal process would be part of the new toll road schemes.
That being said, now that toll roads have criminalized driving in Central Texas, this amnesty program brought in 7%, roughly 10,500 of 151,000, toll scofflaws. Which leaves an estimated 140,000 cases to clog Justice of the Peace courts in Texas, and Central Texas in particular. It would have been so much simpler just to raise the gas tax.