Toll booths became history in Massachusetts in 2016, and backups at the tolls disappeared with them.  Image via WCVB.

– News covered by Quincy Quarry News with commentary added.

E-ZPass scanners
An AP photo

Massachusetts Department of Transportation letting millions in road and bridge tolls go uncollected

Since toll booths were eliminated five years ago, $122 million in tolls have yet to be collected and who only knows how more in potential fines for ducking tolls.

While $51 million in unpaid fines are care of the drivers of out-of-state vehicles, most of the top 100 scofflaws are Massholes. 

Even so, Steve Collins, MassDOT’s assistant highway administrator for tolls, said that Massachusetts has been receiving more money than it expected to receive as well as that before the pandemic hit,  MassDOT was meeting its goal to collect as much toll revenue as it did before electronic tolling.

Cash and carry …
A file photo

Unclear, however, was if MassDot’s revenue projections were net of “gratuities” pocketed by toll collectors before this highly sought-after MassDOT position was eliminated.

In any event, efforts to collect unpaid tolls have been variable.

The state can stop people with unpaid tolls from registering their cars in Massachusetts as well as shares information with New Hampshire, Maine, Rhode Island and New York so that out-of-state toll skippers from these three states can be blocked from registering their vehicles in these three states.

Follow, though, however, is underwhelming.

For example, MassDOT has only just recently retained the services of private bill collections services.

MassDOT’s three new toll debt collectors
A ThreeStooges.com image

Three debt collection services were finally retained recently.  So recently that only just earlier this month have they begun to endeavor to collect unpaid tolls.

Unclear, however, is just what MassDOT might be able to recoup in the way of fines for non-payment.

Fines for non-payment are only $0.60 for each time an E-ZPass toll charges billing invoice is issued whereas the $250 fine for not paying a toll is apparently not imposed on those who are not playing their E-ZPass charges. 

Traffic back-ups continue even with toll booths  gone
Image via Bloomberg

Needless to say, one can only reasonably assume that opting to fine toll scofflaws $250 for each ducked toll after a reasonable number of requests for payment are ignored would surely both improve payment on E-ZPass toll charges invoices issued as well as raise serious toll fine revenue from those who continue to duck paying their toll charges.

Source: Massachusetts letting millions in tolls go uncollected

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