new york – New York City officials are warning drivers to be careful. Don’t hide your license plate to avoid the controversial $9 congestion charge.
City officials on Monday announced a proposal aimed at penalizing drivers who use tactics such as covering plates with plastic, glass, dirt or even bike racks to prevent them from being read on toll plaza gantries. . The crackdown could include penalties for vehicles that drive unnoticed through toll plazas, as well as $50 fines for parked vehicles with obstructed license plates.
“There will always be people trying to circumvent the system, and we have to do everything we can to catch them,” Mayor Eric Adams said. “Legislate the confiscation of vehicles when necessary and provide sufficient penalties to deter them.”
Fare evasion has become a major problem for the MTA in recent years, and despite attempts to crack down on it, it remains a stubborn problem.
“In 2022, the MTA was losing $46 million to fare evasion,” said Andrew Lane of the Citizens Budget Committee, a watchdog group. “Then there was more enforcement, but frankly, evasion has also increased since then.With congestion pricing, more and more people will try to avoid the toll.That’s why the enforcement now is especially important.”
New York City Councilmember Vicki Palladino sparked controversy this week when she appeared to advocate for New Yorkers to block congestion pricing cameras.
“Important warning: High-powered green laser pointers, like those sold on Ebay for under $30, can destroy your camera’s sensor.” Palladino said in a post about X.. “So if you buy one of these lasers, never point it at the camera as it can cause permanent damage.”
A public hearing will be held online on February 6, giving residents the opportunity to comment on the proposal.
The congestion pricing program, which officially began Sunday, aims to reduce traffic and improve air quality by charging drivers who enter Manhattan’s central business district during peak hours.