In total, there have been 25 operations focused, according to authorities, on the phantom license plates of vehicles that constantly evade tolls on bridges and tunnels in New York City.
These costs the MTA millions of dollars each year and prevent the MTA from making improvements to the transportation system that benefits millions of people.
MTA Chairman Jano Lieber said: “It is New Yorkers who are more than angry, as they are being robbed by these fare evaders for more than $50 million a year. And it is these weekly and monthly operations that are making the difference.”
As an example, on Monday, July 8 alone, police stopped 55 vehicles attempting to cross the Whitestone Bridge.
The evaders had accumulated more than $480,000 in unpaid tolls, fines and legal fees.
This operation resulted in 13 arrests and 433 fines.
“Two or three times a week, we go to different points in the city, bridges and tunnels and check license plates or phantom license plates on vehicles, and that results in all the arrests and fines collected that we are talking about,” says Carlos Nieves, deputy commissioner of communications for the NYPD.
Specifically, on July 2, 67 cars were seized while crossing the Verrazano Bridge. In this case, the evaders accumulated more than half a million dollars in unpaid tolls, seven of them were arrested and 527 fines were issued.
Governor Hochul indicated that they will no longer tolerate evaders and cheaters who mock the system, and that they continue to catch them with these operations.
“We have also confiscated 16,000 motorcycles from January to June, and 18,000 last year, so we are seizing them more frequently,” Nieves added.
MTA Chairman Janno Lieber, meanwhile, strongly argued that fare evasion was a drain on public finances, and sent a message to non-payers that they would pay the price for covering up their license plates or using phantom plates.
NYPD Traffic Chief Philip Rivera explains:
“Fifty-nine percent of the 337 arrests were for driving a vehicle without a license, meaning they knowingly drove knowing their licenses were suspended, precisely for not paying traffic fines.”
Police Commissioner Edward Caba said that since the start of joint operations four months ago, they have fined more than 12,000 evaders, and that they will continue to do so.
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