MTA taking on 'ghost cars' as NYC toll evaders turn to new technology
NYC Latest Problem: "Ghost Cars"
New York City is facing a new problem on its streets, so-called "ghost cars." FOX 5 NY reports that the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) is cracking down on toll evaders, with approximately 9,000 cars per day not paying tolls. In response, drivers are resorting to using fake license plates or other illegal methods to avoid getting caught.
As if ghost guns weren’t enough of a problem in New York City, the city is now dealing with so-called "ghost cars."
"Ghost cars" may not actually be spectral vehicles, but they are cars that seem to be invisible to toll readers, using Jame Bond-type technology to rotate license plates or any of several other methods of blocking or obscuring their plates to avoid tolls.
According to the MTA, some 9,000 cars each day do not pay tolls. If they are caught, their car can be seized and drivers can end up owing over $50,000 dollars in tolls and fees.
FOX 5 NY joined the MTA Tuesday for a crackdown at the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge as MTA officers spotted a brand-new Mercedes SUV with a fake license plate. Officers recognized the Georgia license plate it used from seeing it on different cars recently.
The driver was arrested and taken into custody on multiple charges, including a felony for forgery.
FOX 5 NY also spotted cars with illegal plate frames, scratched-out plates, and in one case, no plates at all.
Law enforcement sources tell FOX 5 that lawmakers in Albany must step in and pass laws with serious consequences, so drivers won’t feel it’s worth it to cheat.