TxDOT toll amnesty period about to end

AUSTIN (KXAN) - The Texas Department of Transportation's pitch to get drivers to pay up on late toll fees appears to not be working out.

In August, they announced a toll amnesty period. That ends in two weeks, and only a handful of toll violators have paid up.

So far, only 5,600 people have taken advantage of the program. That amounts to about 4 percent of those who have late toll fees.

The amnesty period is an effort to try and collect an estimated $4 million in late toll fees and $60 million in additional fines that have not been paid.

The deal with the amnesty period impacts those who don't have a TxTag and use the pay-by-mail option.

While violators have to pay the toll fee, during the amnesty period they are only required to pay 10 percent of the additional fines that are tacked on for paying late.

The amnesty period covers fines that occurred on Loop 1, SH 45 and SH 130, but not 183-A since that road is not run by TxDOT.

TxDOT officials said they are prepared to take toll violators to court if they don't pay up during the amnesty period.

“We were hopeful that really a lot of people would take advantage so they could change from being violators to really becoming customers on the system,” said Mark Tomlinson, with TxDOT.

Those who owe money can pay in person or by the phone at 1-888-468-9824.

Those who want to pay in person can go to the Customer Service Center located at 12719 Loop 1 service road just north of Fry's.

The toll amnesty period ends Nov. 30.