Tuesday January 27 2015
▼ First win of 2015 for Eagles 10
▼ KPU women in final playoff position 9
The
Leader
ICBC BLOCKS RECORD NUMBER OF DRIVERS FOR TOLL EVASION ▶ LICENCE AND INSURANCE RENEWALS REFUSED FOR 25,000 PORT MANN AND 17,000 GOLDEN EARS MOTORISTS
JEFF NAGEL
Transportation Investment Corporation – which manages the Port Mann Bridge – says drivers receive three notifications for toll payment before a Refuse to Issue notice is sent to ICBC. Motorists must then pay what’s owed before renewing their driver’s licence or vehicle insurance. EVAN SEAL
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$8,000 in bridge tolls, some of which he believed were charged in error. Thousands of B.C. drivers are being They rarely cross the bridge now frozen out of driver’s licence or car inbecause neither work in Langley surance renewals because they refused anymore. or neglected to pay bridge tolls. The couple is also selling their Maple ICBC acts as the enforcement Ridge house, after which they’ll pay mechanism and it currently has off the outstanding tolls. refuse-to-issue notices on file against Murdoch said she’s surprised by 25,000 drivers for failing to pay their how many other people are in the Port Mann Bridge tolls and 17,000 same plight. for unpaid tolls on the Golden Ears “I bet there are a lot of people out Bridge. there driving around without driver’s By comparison, ICBC is also blocklicences.” ing 9,300 parents for failing to make She also argues tolls unfairly hit peochild support payments and 4,100 ple who live near the two toll bridges TransLink fare evaders who haven’t and work on the other side of the paid their tickets. Fraser River. The 25,000 drivers “I’m not saying bridges barred by ICBC for Port shouldn’t be tolled. But ▶ “When Mann tolls is an all-time why are people in Maple you do that high and has been as low Ridge and Pitt Meadows as 10,000 at other times, specifically being stradto somebody, according to the Transwith this bill?” she you limit what dled portation Investment asked. Corporation (TI Corp.) “Everybody in the they can do.” that manages the bridge. Lower Mainland should STACEY MURDOCH Maple Ridge motorbe tolled on every single cyclist Stacey (Stella) bridge.” Murdoch argues it’s too TI Corp. spokesman heavy-handed for ICBC Greg Johnson insists the system to to deny people the ability to drive enforce toll payment is fair. without any option to gradually repay He said the “vast majority” of Port the debt over time. Mann bridge users pay their tolls on “When you do that to somebody you time, many of them by automatic limit what they can do,” she said. “Peo- pre-authorized payment through their ple get into these situations but we TReO bridge tolling account. have to give them a way to get out.” A Refuse to Issue notice goes to Murdoch started the Facebook page ICBC only if a driver owes more than “Golden Ears Bridge Toll Nightmares” $25 and is 90 days overdue. after her husband was blocked from renewing insurance until he paid continued on page 3
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