MassDOT Reminds Drivers of Toll Amnesty for Tobin Bridge Pay-By-Plate Fines for the Month of June

MassDOT Reminds Drivers of Toll Amnesty for Tobin Bridge Pay-By-Plate Fines for the Month of June

BOSTON – Monday, June 8, 2015 – MassDOT is reminding customers of the changes to the fine structure to the all-electronic, Pay-By-Plate, toll collection system on the Tobin Bridge.  The 30-day amnesty program that started Monday, June 1, is in place so that drivers can simply pay the amount of outstanding tolls and have all late payment fines waived.  Both the new fine structure and the 30-day toll amnesty apply exclusively to the Tobin Bridge. 

The Tobin Bridge’s All-Electronic Tolling system was activated on July 21, 2014, and eliminated the need to pay tolls in cash.  The system employs a dual technology that detects E-ZPass transponders, or for vehicles without transponders, captures an image of the registration plate and sends an invoice to the address listed on the vehicle registration.

Known as Pay-By-Plate, vehicles without transponders that cross the Tobin Bridge are mailed invoices and reminder notices based on a monthly billing cycle.  Subsequent reminder invoices and notices of non-payment are accompanied by a fine structure that was modeled after the structure that has been in place on the Turnpike since 2000.

Under the new structure for the Tobin Bridge, fines will be assessed according to the following:

·       A $1 late fee will be added to every unpaid Pay-By-Plate toll after an invoice goes unpaid for 30 days;

·       An additional $1 will be added to each toll transaction after 60 days of non-payment, and another $1 after 90 days;

·       Under the maximum fines allowed, each unpaid Tobin Bridge toll transaction will be capped at $6; also at that time, the vehicle owner’s driver’s license and vehicle registration will be placed in a non-renew status, until the toll balance and fines are resolved.  Also at this stage, there is an additional $20 fee to remove the hold on driver’s license and vehicle registration renewals. 

Additionally, for the month of June MassDOT is offering a toll amnesty program, whereby Tobin Bridge Pay-By-Plate customers with outstanding balances have the opportunity to pay tolls only in full, with all fines waived dating back to July 21, 2014.  The 30-day amnesty also includes the suspension of the $20 fee to remove the hold on registration and driver’s license renewals.