Penalties are helping contribute to payments on New Zealand’s toll roads.
The NZ Transport Agency collected $2.4 million in penalty payments from July 2015 to June 2016 from drivers who failed to pay on time for the tolls they’d clocked up, the Waikato Times reports.
That’s on top of the estimated $27.7 million collected for the same period from the tolls themselves, NZTA spokesman Andy Knackstedt says.
The toll roads – one north of Auckland and two in the Bay of Plenty – are just 27.5km worth of road.
Elderly people probably form a hefty chunk of those who fall victim to late fees, Hamilton Grey Power president Roger Hennebry acknowledges.
It’s because they can’t physically pay at a toll booth, he says.
Electronic toll cameras and sensors capture an image of the vehicle’s registration plate when you cross the delegated area, and then assigns the correct toll.
Motorists who set up a toll account have the toll automatically deducted.
If a motorist doesn’t have an account, then the person has five working days to pay online before late penalties begin to be added.
Hennebry says he got a bill for $7.90 for late payment, which he subsequently paid.
“But it’s so easy for older people or even younger people to forget.”
He believes there should be some leniency for SuperGold Card holders.
There were 11.8 million trips made on a New Zealand toll road between July 2015 and June 2016.
Of those, 70% were paid from a toll account.
The amount you pay depends on the type of vehicle being driven and all three roads have a different cost. There is no extra cost for towing a caravan or trailer.
All three routes have longer, free alternatives.
The NZTA says that if a toll payment notice is not paid within 28 days, any unpaid tolls and administration costs will be referred to a debt-collection agency. An infringement notice with an additional fee of $40 for each unpaid toll may also be issued. Infringement notices that are not paid will be referred to the Ministry of Justice for collection as an unpaid fine.
The administration free is based on the average costs of printing, stationery and postage, payments processing through the contact centre and website. The revenue from the fee contributes to cover costs associated with the running of the overall tolling operation.
