Port Authority Sees Big Jump In Tickets For ‘Toll Cheats’ In NJ, NY

NEW JERSEY — The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey has been cracking down big time on “toll cheats” over the past six months, authorities say.

Data from the Port Authority Police Department (PAPD) shows that the total number of summonses issued by its officers increased by 55 percent and the number of arrests increased by 54 percent in the first six months of 2024, as compared to the same period in 2023, the bi-state agency announced this week.

Drivers who were issued summonses in that period collectively owed the agency more than $4.2 million. These included several repeat offenders who alone racked up toll bills of hundreds of thousands of dollars, authorities said.

Port Authority officials offered some additional insight into the data:

“In the first six months of 2024, a total of 4,836 summonses were issued for toll-related violations by PAPD officers. This was a 55 percent increase over the 3,103 summonses issued during the same period in 2023. The bulk of the summonses, totaling 3,940 citations, were issued for obstructed/missing/fictitious license plates. From January 1 through June 30, Port Authority police also arrested 63 individuals for theft of service and fictitious license plates. This was a 54 percent increase in the arrest total from the same period in 2023, when 41 motorists were arrested.”

Toll evaders who repeatedly do not pay their bills on time may be subject to having their vehicles’ registrations suspended and their vehicles towed and impounded by PAPD at the owners’ expense. Repeat offenders also may be subject to civil litigation for toll recovery, authorities said.

“Between targeted patrols, streamlined data collection and other resources, we’re leaving no stone unturned in our pursuit of drivers who think they can cheat the system,” Port Authority Executive Director Rick Cotton said.

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