Three-state compact targets toll evaders

Drivers in three New England states who blow through toll booths without paying may find they no longer have a vehicle to drive. A first-in-the-nation compact between New Hampshire, Massachusetts, and Maine enables those states to punish toll scofflaws with loss of vehicle registrations. Transportation officials say the enforcement program closes the loophole in which out-of-state drivers sometimes ignore payment demands from states where they failed to pay tolls. The three states will share access to motor vehicle records. Twenty toll violations will trigger a warning letter. Unpaid tolls and penalties exceeding $500 could result in suspension of or failure to renew a vehicle’s registration. The one-year pilot program is in effect now. The program applies to all toll evaders, including those who have E-ZPass transponders. (AP)