Toll-dodging EastLink drivers get clamped

UP to 1000 fines a day are being issued to motorists who refuse to pay tolls on EastLink. The freeloading driver bill totals almost $1 million a week. 

 And the bill is even bigger for those who still refuse to pay up.

The revelations came as the Sheriff's Office used automatic numberplate recognition technology on EastLink yesterday to identify drivers who had unpaid fines and outstanding warrants.
The blitz resulted in 38 people being identified as owing almost $175,000.

EastLink owner and operator ConnectEast said up to 220,000 trips were made on the 39km road each day but a number of motorists continued to do the wrong thing.
Managing director Dennis Cliche said the road was clearly signed as a tollway and people who didn't pay should stay off it.
"Toll evasion is like shoplifting or using public transport without paying," Mr Cliche said.

Toll invoices are issued for about 9000 trips each day to motorists who don't have an active toll account or don't buy a trip pass.
Those who don't pay after receiving a reminder notice - about 1000 a day - receive a fine from Civic Compliance Victoria.
Mr Cliche said an initial toll invoice of about $15 could rise to a penalty of $141 and eventually to a warrant that cost $288.

Department of Justice regional director Gabrielle Levine said the blitz was run on EastLink because of the number of unpaid fines by motorists and the large volume of traffic.
"The reality is that the majority of outstanding fines are in fact tolls and EastLink is a major contributor of the outstanding debt," she said.

The Herald Sun revealed last April that 607,000 individuals and businesses owed at least $760 million to the State Government in unpaid fines.

heraldsun.com.au 23 Jan 2013

Toll collection by the corporation is illegal, and has no legal footing to stand on.

Corpau has been provided with information that shows that 'fines' issued by Victoria Police are illegal, therefore their collection and enforcement has no legal bounds.

The heads at VicPol are fully aware that the 'fines' issued are without any grounds, but are publicly silent on the matter.

The policy is to generate revenue for the corporations at the financial expense of the masses.

The corporate media are not in the business of exposing a fraud worth millions of dollars a week against the masses, as the media are part of the corporatocracy.

It is irrespective whether it is 'Eastlink' or 'Citilink' or any other toll in any other state, their financial collection is illegal.

Speed camera 'fines' are also collected illegally, which Corpau will be writing a brief article on in the future.