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TXDOT Publishes Names Of Top Toll Scofflaws

francesjane
/
KERA News

The North Texas Tollway Authority did it in our part of the state.  Now the Texas Department of Transportation (TXDOT) has published a list of drivers who have repeatedly driven on the state’s toll roads without paying.

TXDOT Executive Director Phil Wilson says he’s hoping a little public embarrassment leads to the state collecting $27 million in unpaid tolls.

“We’ve got people we’ve identified who have more than 100 violations,” said Wilson.

“We have a few who have more than 10,000 violations which means you drove every day for more than eight years on that facility.  And it’s not fair to the other participants whose rates could go up because others are riding for free,” he said.

TXDOT says its biggest cheater is a man from Pflugerville who owes $236,000 in tolls and fees.

State transportation officials are giving the 28,000 scofflaws until noon Wednesday to arrange a payment plan.  If they don’t the state could prevent the drivers from renewing their vehicle registrations and ban them from using state toll roads, most of which are located in Central Texas.

Former KERA staffer Shelley Kofler was news director, managing editor and senior reporter. She is an award-winning reporter and television producer who previously served as the Austin bureau chief and legislative reporter for North Texas ABC affiliate WFAA-TV.