Five Northlanders are on the list of the 50 worst toll dodgers for the tunnels along the Northern Gateway Toll Road between Albany and Puhoi, owing $2834 in unpaid fees between them. The New Zealand Transport Agency (NZTA) is writing to people with multiple unpaid-for trips through the tunnels, warning theyhave until June 14 to pay up or face an extra $40 infringement fee for each unpaid toll. The toll road's operating report for the six months to the end of December 2009 shows debtors owe $525,254.08, or about 5 per cent of the highway's total revenue of $9.84 million. The person with the highest debt operates two vehicles, and has a combined total of 667 unpaid trips with a debt of $1875.20. This person is liable for $26,680 in fines, with a $40 infringement fee applying to each unpaid trip. The worst single vehicle offender has 469 unpaid trips and would owe $18,760 in fines. NZTA said there were five Northlanders on the list of top 50 debtors and between them they owed a total of $2834 in unpaid tolls. They face possible fines of more than $22,700 for the more than 550 unpaid trips, if they don't pay by June 14. The crackdown is a matter of fairness, NZTA regional director Wayne McDonald said. "The toll road is a user-pays section of highway. Overall compliance is very high - about 95 per cent - but it's those others who repeatedly avoid paying that we are targeting," Mr McDonald said.
Cars, light trucks and motorcyclists are charged $2 for each trip on the toll road, and heavy vehicles pay $4. People have five days to pay before a toll payment notice is issued, which includes a $2.20 administration fee as well as the unpaid toll.
