POLICE are cracking down on drivers using a sneaky trick to bypass the new congestion pricing toll program in New York.
The city’s controversial new charge came into effect earlier this month and forces drivers to fork out $9 to access the busiest parts of the city during peak hours.
Dozens of drivers have been caught using a range of sneaky tricks to avoid the recently implemented congestion pricing in New York[/caption]
Mayor Eric Adams spoke about the methods already used to avoid the tolls in a new conference on Tuesday[/caption]
Motorists caught with an obstructed license plate will be hit with fines, warned police[/caption]
It covers every local street and avenue in Manhattan at or below 60th Street, at the south end of Central Park.
The highest fees apply to trucks during peak hours; ranging from $14.40 to $21.60, depending on their size.
Even passengers using rideshare apps, such as Uber and Lyft, are hit by the tolls too, with an extra $1.50 surcharge added per ride, while New York yellow taxis will add on a $0.75 per ride fee.
But in recent days, the NYPD have reportedly stopped several drivers who tried to cover parts of their license plates to avoid the charge.
According to ABC7 NY, 82 summonses were issued during the NYPD Congestion Zone Enforcement Operation – including 29 for improperly covered license plates.
The others were for various motor vehicle violations.
What’s more, two arrests were made for criminal possession of a forged instrument – a paper license plate – and another for aggravated unlicensed operator.
Officers were even looking to track motorists spotted driving the wrong way on one-way streets in an effort to avoid the toll.
Of course, driving the wrong way on a one-way street is not only dangerous, but also carries significant penalties.
Acording to New York Traffic Firm, a first-time offence typically results in a fine of around $150 plus additional court surcharges of $93, and could potentially reach $325.
During a news conference on Tuesday, New York Mayor Eric Adams spoke about the methods already used to avoid the tolls – which were introduced at the turn of the New Year.
“That’s just the ingenuity of mankind, humankind,” Adams said.
He also noted the “different ways you can block your plate. You can put different letters on your plate. There is going to be an entirely new industry on how to evade tolls.”
But he also warned drivers to pay the toll or risk the fees rising further.
He said: “Any person who fails to pay their toll, it’s going to come out of the pocket of those who pay their toll.
“I don’t want to see an increase in the tolling amount because they are impacted by that failure.”
New rules have been suggested by New York City‘s Transport Commissioner, Ydanis Rodriguez, and Police Commissioner, Jessica Tisch, to widen the range of licence plate obstructions that could lead to penalties.
Set to be heard on February 6, they set clear rules for licence plates, banning anything like dirt, rust, glass, plastic covers, or any other substances that make a plate harder to read.
Cars seen parking with an obstructed plate may be slapped with a $50 fine.
This comes as Lyft has revealed a new scheme that will credit users $1.50 every time they pay the new congestion fee in January that can be used on a future trip.
Taking to their blog, Lyft wrote: “Rides in NYC are among the most expensive in the country, partially due to all the government-imposed taxes and fees riders have to pay before even stepping into a vehicle.
“The new $1.50 congestion fee starting in January is on top of a separate $2.75 congestion fee riders already pay to the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA).
“Call it one small step towards our New Year’s resolution to help make rideshare in NYC more affordable.”
