--- title: "Some NJ Drivers Wrongly Charged Truck Tolls as NYC Congestion Pricing Looms" description: "Neither E-ZPass nor the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey know why some passenger cars are being tolled like semi trailers." date: "2024-05-02" modified: "2024-05-02" authors: - name: "Nico DeMattia" job_title: "Contributing Writer" link: "https://www.thedrive.com/authors/nico-demattia" url: "https://www.thedrive.com/news/some-nj-drivers-wrongly-charged-truck-tolls-as-nyc-congestion-pricing-looms" categories: - "News" --- # Some NJ Drivers Wrongly Charged Truck Tolls as NYC Congestion Pricing Looms ![]() *Getty* As if New Jerseyans don't already have a love/hate relationship with [E-ZPass](), the automatic toll collection company is making some drivers' lives even more difficult. Some Jersey drivers have found that, within the past year, they were incorrectly charged the same tolling rate as big-rig trucks despite driving normal passenger cars while crossing the George Washington Bridge. What's the difference in that fee, you ask? Instead of maximum off $14.75—which is already a lot—it could be as much as $140. According to *[NorthJersey]()*, the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey found 1,891 vehicles overcharged on the four bridges it operates, including the George Washington Bridge, between June 2022 and June 2023. Seeing how that's less than a fraction of one percent of the 122 million drivers that went through Port Authority tolls in 2023, this clearly isn't a widely occurring issue. However, for the individual who's suddenly and unknowingly, paying $140 to cross a bridge, it's a huge problem. Thankfully, the Port Authority has reimbursed those drivers for the erroneous expense. However, since [E-ZPass]() automatically draws money from your bank account to refill your toll wallet, it can be difficult to realize when it makes a mistake—especially if you avoid paper billing—because few people regularly check their account E-ZPass statements online. So many drivers won't notice until they see that E-ZPass took way more money than usual out of the account. ![]() **Getty** Why was this happening? There are a few possible reasons. One could be an error with the toll booth sensors that read both the E-ZPass tag and measure the vehicle size. Another could be that, during heavy traffic, sometimes drivers pass through the toll booths so close together that the sensor is reading two car lengths as one (some cheeky drivers will even try to skip the toll by riding another driver's tail through the gantry). However, there's no definitive reason as to why drivers are being overcharged. To make matters worse, these overcharges are also happening as New Jerseyans are being asked to pay more. New York is preparing to implement its first-ever [daily congestion fee]() for any vehicle entering Manhattan lower than 60th Street next month. So in addition to the existing tolls, many passenger vehicles will be charged $15 to enter New York during key points of the day. Not the greatest time, then, for toll technology to suddenly be on the fritz. *Got tips? Send 'em to tips@thedrive.com* ## Author Nico is a writer and reviewer from New Jersey who probably thinks he’s a lot funnier than he actually is. His love of cars began when he was just a kid playing Gran Turismo 3, grinding out enough race wins with a Mazda Miata to save up for an in-game RUF 911. That passion for small, lightweight sports cars drove his desire to learn more about the industry, get his hands on as many cars as he could, and bring those experiences to life on the page. He cut his teeth writing about BMWs, Volkswagens, and Audis, mostly, and has owned far too many of each. He’s on his fourth 3 Series sedan, but all of his old, cheap German cars have forced him to learn more about car maintenance than his mechanical capability can handle. Too many late nights have been spent scrambling to get a car running by morning so he could get to work. For some reason, he never seems to learn that old Bimmers probably aren’t the best daily drivers. But he loves more than just old German cars. He’ll gladly drive and discuss anything with four (or even three) wheels. Cars aren’t his only passions, though. Nico is also a big nerd and loves movies, video games, comic books, and cares far too much about the New York Giants. So don’t be surprised if you see football references or dumb, obscure movie quotes in any of his car reviews. ### Author social links [Instagram]() [LinkedIn]()