Did you use Metro Vancouver’s Port Mann Bridge without paying while it was a tolled route? Turns out, you’re not alone.
BC’s Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure tells Daily Hive the unpaid tolls for the bridge total more than $12 million.
The Port Mann, which connects Coquitlam to Surrey, used to be a tolled route until former premier John Horgan made it free to use in 2017.
The good news for drivers who haven’t paid their seven-plus-year-old fines is that the BC government isn’t actively pursuing debt collection.
The Ministry tells Daily Hive drivers in the area are saving about $1,500 per year without the tolls, and commercial truck drivers are often saving $4,500 annually.
The NDP government removed tolls from the Port Mann and Golden Ears bridges because it felt the fees unfairly targeted individuals who live near the Fraser River. At the time the tolls were scrapped, the government estimated the amount owing for the Port Mann Bridge was $45 million — suggesting many people who owed money in 2017 since settled their debt.
The government continued to collect outstanding tolls after the 2017 shift to free use of the bridge, but seven years later, it appears collection efforts have slowed down.