Brisbane’s top 5 toll dodgers clock up $250,000 in unpaid fines

They’re the toll cheats who have clocked up an astronomical amount of outstanding debt. SEE THE MAIN OFFENDERS

BRISBANE’S five worst serial toll dodgers have racked up a staggering debt worth almost a quarter of a million dollars.

The Sunday Mail can reveal Brisbane City Council’s unpaid tolls tally has ballooned significantly in the past year, with the council currently chasing about $28 million and that was up 24 per cent from the same time last year.

Among those who are yet to pay are five toll dodgers who the council says collectively owe more than $240,000 from a total of 1469 unpaid tolls.

They include one driver with a debt of $80,919 who allegedly failed to pay for 483 tolls, while another who owes $47,103 allegedly has 316 tolls hanging over their head.

The remaining three motorists owe upwards of $35,000 each after they failed to pay their tolls on more than 200 occasions.

Brisbane City Council infrastructure committee chairwoman Amanda Cooper said the debt accrued by the five motorists was not an oversight on their part but deliberate evasion.

“I ask these people to do the right thing and pay up,” she said.

“Every dollar of unpaid tolls can take away from the opportunity for council to deliver future transport projects, to get people home quicker and safer, which are investments for the city’s future.

“Council always attempts to contact the customer to discuss the matter and arrange payment, but if unsuccessful, we refer the debt to the State Penalties Enforcement Register to take further action to collect the debt.”

The toll roads Brisbane City Council is responsible for include the Legacy Way and Clem7 tunnels, as well as the Go Between Bridge.

Cr Cooper said those people who failed to pay their way were “cheating the community”.

It is understood that in previous years, council has spent more than $6 million on enforcement to rein in outstanding unpaid tolls.