Most of us who drive through New York’s toll plazas do not plan to commit EZ Pass violations, but sometimes we violate the rules by failing to pay the toll fee. Bad as this may seem, the good thing is that we can all get out by doing one simple thing – paying the toll violation fee, and all becomes right with the world.
Just in case you didn’t know, New York Thruway Authority uses an electronic tolling collection system known as EZ Pass to collect tolls from motorists. Drivers who drive through these tolls use this system to prepay tolls using their EZ Pass accounts.
For EZ Pass Only Customers
Each time you drive through an E-Z Pass Only lane, a specified amount deducts from your EZ Pass account balance. Unlike some other tolls that are manned by agents, EZ Pass tolls function automatically. Rather, an electronic system does the collection. It is what we call a cashless system, and since its introduction, it has gone a long way to ease traffic congestion.
Can Non-EZ Pass Customers use an EZ Lane?
No, these lanes are only for drivers who have an active EZ Pass account. If you are not an EZ Pass holder and you use the lane in any part of New York State, you would be adjudged to have committed a traffic violation. The enforcement system will capture the car’s plate number, generate a notice, and will send it to you, the registered owner of the car. In most cases, notices of EZ Pass violations take between 4-6 weeks to arrive.
How do I resolve a Toll Violation?
There is only one way to resolve a toll violation, which is to pay the violation penalty. Do bear in mind that toll collectors are not permitted by law to collect the penalty fees from you after the violation has occurred. Furthermore, nobody can stop the violation process once the enforcement system captures the vehicle’s number. To pay your way out of an EZ Pass violation after 15 days from the issue date, you need to make payments to accredited collection agencies. The agency responsible for collecting NY Tolls is Linebarger Goggan Blair & Sampson.
Or better still, follow any of these procedures below.
Three ways to settle an unpaid toll in New York
In some cases, you may not have sufficient cash on you after receiving a toll violation. In such a situation, what do you do?
Once your vehicle’s information is collected at the tolling booth for a violation, and an unpaid slip is issued by the collection agency, you can pay the violation fee using any of these methods.
- Payment by Mail
The slip sent to you will contain a mailing address with this instruction “Please mail payment to NYSTA, Box: 189, Albany NY 12201-0189”. This is the mailing address of the Thruway Authority. To use this procedure, write a check to Thruway Authority and send it by mail to the above address. You should also include your driver’s license, vehicle number, and the unpaid slip in the mail. Do note that cash payment is not allowed.
- Online Payment
You can also pay online by logging onto https://wwwapps.thruway.ny.gov/upt/ and follow the instructions given. Subsequently, you can also pay online via EZ Pass official website. Simply visit www.e-zpassny.com
- Pay by phone
You can also pay for a toll violation by calling (518) 471-5051 or 1-800-333-8655 from Monday – Friday, 9:00 am – 4:00 pm.
You may also choose to make payment with this collection agency:http://www.nyst-tolls.com/
Also Read: How to pay a Missed Toll in New York?
There is also a room for dispute resolution if you feel that you have been wrongly charged for an EZ Pass violation you did not commit or a violation you have already paid for. To dispute a violation notice, do the following.
- Contact NYSTA or EZ Pass customer service
You can place a call to EZ Pass customer service to register your complaint. You can also forward your dispute in writing to the website if online disputes are accepted at the time of writing.
- Download and fill the dispute form
If you don’t want to contact EZ Pass in person, you can just go ahead to fill the dispute form. You can download the form online. Contest the charge by providing reasons why you should be absolved of the violations. Clearly stating your reasons will help officials investigate your claim.
- Submit the form
Before you submit the form, make sure that your name, driver’s license number, and plate number are correct. Also, provide your contact address for future correspondence. Including your home address, mailing address, email, and phone number will increase the number of communication options by which NYSTA or EZ Pass can contact you.
- Wait for a response
You have to be patient after submitting your dispute form. During the period of waiting, the appropriate authority will investigate your claims and mail you a detailed response of their investigations.
NB: If you are a first time offender, you can ask for a waiver. Not all waiver requests are honored, but you might be lucky. Although, asking for a waiver means that you admit that you did violate toll rules.
Not all violation disputes are successful. In fact, every year, the NYSTA receives thousands of disputes from motorists, but only a significant few are exonerated. However, if you are convinced that you are not guilty of the violations, it is within your right to dispute the charge using the appropriate channels.
In conclusion, endeavor to respond to a charge as soon as possible because failure to respond or delays may lead to heftier fines and possible litigations. If you know that you actually violated toll rules, do all you can to pay the fine so that you do not attract tougher sanctions.