By Forum Staff
Assemblywoman Stacey Pheffer Amato (D-Howard Beach) recently initiated an operation with the Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s Bridge and Tunnel officers to tackle persistent toll evaders on the Cross Bay Veterans Memorial Bridge.
The officers targeted motorists that look to intentionally defraud the system by preventing their license plate or car registration from being recognized. In one day, cops intercepted over a dozen vehicles between Broad Channel and the Rockaway Peninsula whose drivers racked up an estimated $150,000 in unpaid tolls and fines. During the operation, cars were not only ticketed but confiscated and impounded.
File Photo
“This sends a clear message that anyone who deliberately scrapes their license plates, uses deflectors and covers, or false paper plates will be found and held accountable for paying tolls and following the law like everyone else,” Assemblywoman Pheffer Amato said.
Pheffer Amato has worked closely with Christina Lampropoulous, president of the Triborough Bridge and Tunnel Authority’s Superior Officers Benevolent Association, and MTA Bridges and Tunnels President Catherine Sheridanz, on new and effective ways to combat toll evaders on the bridge. The three agreed on the seriousness of the problem and expressed how those who evade a toll negatively impact those who follow the law.
“This partnership for combating toll evaders is incredibly welcomed in our community and I am so proud to be working with the MTA and TBTA officers. This sends a clear message that anyone who deliberately scrapes their license plates, uses deflectors and covers, or false paper plates will be found and held accountable for paying tolls and following the law like everyone else,” Pheffer Amato said.
The assemblywoman noted that there will be several surprise interception operations in the coming months to further protect other drivers and hold toll evaders responsible.
