British Columbia brokers might be dealing with a mountain of irate Vancouver drivers who have been identified as ‘refuse-to-issue’ for unpaid tolls on two of that city’s toll bridge.
Thousands of Metro Vancouver drivers have been barred from renewing their licenses or insurance because of unpaid Port Mann and Golden Ears bridge tolls, according to the crown agency Transportation Investment Corporation (TI Corp) that operates the span.
The Insurance Corporation of British Columbia (ICBC) has placed refuse-to-issue holds on 25,000 people who have more than $25 in unpaid tolls for crossing the new Port Mann bridge. The bridge – which opened on Dec. 1, 2012 – didn’t introduce regular tolling until the beginning of 2014.
“The vast majority of Treo customers pay their tolls on time, or automatically through their Treo account,” TI Corp spokesman Greg Johnson told CTV News. “But for those who don’t, there’s a process to ensure that the tolling system is fair for all users. After all, the toll only exists to pay for the bridge.”
According to TI Corp, those who don’t pay are issued three payment notifications within a 90-day period before being designated as refuse-to-issue.
But the numbers of unpaid tolls don’t stop there.
According to ICBC, more than 17,000 drivers have been designated refuse-to-issue for unpaid tolls on the Fraser River-spanning Golden Ears Bridge.
The Port Mann toll-evaders represent about $3-million in lost revenue for TI Corp.
Although considerable, it should be noted that 80 to 85 per cent of drivers who have been sent refuse-to-issue notices end up making payment soon after.
“With 2.5-million bridge users since the start of tolling,” Johnson told CTV News, “the numbers of drivers in RTI represents a very small number, about one per cent of total bridge users.”
