Aside from speeding up freeway traffic, the soon-to-be-launched “pay as you go” policy could help curb car license plate violations and the collection of unpaid traffic fines or freeway toll fees.
The National Freeway Bureau (NFB), the Directorate-General of Highways (DGH) and National Highway Police Bureau (NHPB) have pledged to consolidate efforts in tracking down vehicles with illegal license plates.
NFB deputy director-general Wu Mu-fu (吳木富) said the government has implemented the electronic toll collection (ETC) system since 2006, with drivers having on-board units, eTags or prepaid accounts able to drive through the electronic toll booths.
However, some drivers go through the ETC toll booths in vehicles with forged, modified, revoked or nullified licenses to avoid freeway toll fees.
Even though the NFB has attempted to find these drivers, Wu said the government is still missing toll fees totalling NT$1.45 million (US$48,500).
However, Wu said that 319 ETC gantries have been installed along the freeways for the “pay as you go” policy, with each motor vehicle detected more frequently than before.
He said the new policy would enable the NFB to collect the unpaid toll fees more easily and help the DGH identify vehicles with faulty car license plates.
The NFB said it has established a system that lists all the vehicles with revoked or nullified licenses.
When a vehicle is driven under the gantries, the system will detect it and allow the authorities to inform the highway police to stop these vehicles while they are on freeways, the NFB said.
“The information should be received by the police after about seven minutes,” Wu said.
NHPB deputy director-general Sun Wei (孫衛) said the bureau has planned to establish 83 traffic law enforcement zones on the freeway’s entrance ramps to increase vehicle detection rates after the toll booths are removed.
DGH data showed that the nation had more than 30,000 recorded car license plate violations last year.
The majority of the violations involved nullified and revoked license plates, with 23,477 cases reported.
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