Thursday, 4:30 PM
Crackdown proposed on Fast Lane scofflaws
By Mac Daniel, Globe Staff
Fast Lane scofflaws, beware. Your days may be numbered.
The Massachusetts Turnpike Authority board is mulling creation of a toll violations unit, using State Police and turnpike personnel to aggressively go after habitual Fast Lane offenders.
The options being considered to penalize scofflaws include $250 citations, civil lawsuits, and even turning off transponders, something the program has never done, said John Cogliano, chairman of the Turnpike Authority.
YOUR VIEW: Is a toll violations unit necessary?
In the first two months of this year, private vehicles blowing through the tolls cost the authority $68,340, while commercial vehicles scofflaws cost the agency $53,715.
In 2006, Fast Lane evaders cost the authority $957,000.
"We want to go after habitual offenders and manage this more aggressively than it has been managed in the past," Cogliano said, adding that the past focus was to go after out-of-state offenders.
