Cash and E-Z Pass signs at the New Jersey Turnpike.
We've all seen the lengths people go to in order to avoid paying tolls and fares, from hopping over subway turnstiles to covering up license plates when taking tunnels or bridges.
But some drivers took dodging tolls to a new level in 2023, and now they're going to have to pay for it.
The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey announced Monday the worst violators when it comes to toll evaders for last year — with the worst of the worst owing more than $200,000 in unpaid fines. That debt belongs to EM Padilla Trucking Corp of Weehawken, New Jersey, according to Port Authority police (PAPD).
The trucking company owed $201,358 in unpaid fees, topping the list by a solid margin. JRK Xpress Corp, of Reading, Pennsylvania, was second on the list, owing just over $185,000, PAPD said. Do 1 Do Right Services LLC, of Lodi, was third on the list at more than $141,000 in alleged unpaid fees.
A few of the offenders were seemingly not companies, but rather individuals who racked up huge totals. An Englewood resident was said to owe nearly $136,000, while a woman from Teaneck was just $1,000 below that. A total of six businesses or individuals were said to owe more than $100,000 in tolls (five of which were from New Jersey). A Bronx transport business also owed more than $86,000, according to PAPD.
The list of most prevalent alleged toll cheaters came as Port Authority announced it recovered more than $25 million from evaders in 2023, which the agency said was up 14 percent from the previous year.
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Port Authority said it increased its enforcement efforts, which led to a 28 percent increase year-over-year in summonses related to toll evasion. Overall, nearly 6,000 toll evasion-related summonses were issued for the year, including more than 4,400 for obstructing, missing or fake license plates.
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“With increased patrols and the deployment of more technology across our infrastructure, we will catch toll violators and they will pay what they owe,” said Port Authority Chairman Kevin O’Toole. "Tolls fund the critical infrastructure that stitch our region together, and drivers will not be able to skate by and steal."
Efforts by NBC New York to contact EM Padilla Trucking Corp were unsuccessful.
