Last month we received the following e-mail from one of our customers. We believe the issue raised an important to many of our customers, and we would like to take this time to share and address the concern. 

 

“My biggest pet peeve is ’Toll Jumpers,’ those people that get on, get off, and drive through toll areas without paying a toll. I realize this is an enforcement nightmare (i.e. trying to collect all of the unpaid tolls and fines) but enough is enough. I secured TollTags for our cars so that I would be a law abiding citizen, but the NTTA is letting thousands (maybe more) of people off the hook but not being more strict with those “Toll Jumpers.” What used to be a privilege, has become a joke. Make it simple --- you run a booth without paying a toll, and you don't have a TollTag, then you MUST pay a $250.00 fine (plus the toll) within 30-days of the infraction or (1) a warrant will be issued for your arrest and/or (2) your Drivers License will be suspended for 1-year --- if anyone commits more than one violation in a 30-day period then their license is automatically revoked and a warrant executed. I know this creates a nightmare but but something has to be done, and now you are going to just mail people their tolls? Yea. Like that is not going to open up a whole new bed of issues. Knowing thousands of people are getting away with running tolls is the MOST frustrating thing about being ‘a member’ of the NTTA, which is what I consider myself as a TollTag user --- and heck, my wife still says the toll roads should be for ‘members’ only and I am starting to agree.

 

 Anyway, hate to end on a negative note but I guess you now know what peeves me most about our toll roads. Thanks again for everything, and please take a tougher, more severe, stance on Toll Jumpers.

 

Kevin

 

Our response:

Kevin, we appreciate your feedback and continued loyalty as an NTTA customer. The NTTA collects tolls in order to finance the maintenance and operation of its innovative system of toll facilities. The vast majority of NTTA patrons, 98 percent system-wide, comply by paying the appropriate toll either in cash or with their TollTag. However, for those who do not pay tolls, violators, you will be pleased to know the NTTA has an aggressive toll collection policy. 

 

Once a vehicle is in violation of not paying the appropriate toll, a failure to pay tolls notice is issued as provided for in the NTTA’s enabling statute, Chapter 366 of the State Transportation Code. The customer is sent a violation invoice and has 30 days to pay it. The rate on the violation invoice is the higher cash rate plus an administrative fee for each unpaid toll, to offset the additional cost of the processing and collection of the tolls. 

 

If the issue is not resolved, the NTTA may forward the unpaid transaction to the Department of Public Safety for the issuance of a citation for the failure to pay tolls.

 

Per Chapter 366 of the State Transportation Code, the court of the local jurisdiction in which the violation occurs may assess and collect the fine in addition to any court costs. The court shall insure the collection of the toll and appropriate administrative fees for the authority.

 

Just to reiterate, Kevin, we have a very high collection rate, which means most of the individuals that you see failing to pay tolls are paying the tolls later at the higher, cash rate in addition to administration fees. 

 

Thank you for sharing your concern and continuing to travel on NTTA roadways!