There is one toll bridge in the Montreal area – and it seems a lot of cars aren’t paying the toll.
The Olivier-Charbonneau Bridge over Riviere des Prairies, links Laval to the Rivière-des-Prairies–Pointe-aux-Trembles borough.
Since the bridge opened on Autoroute 25 in May 2011, over 420,000 trips were unpaid, and some say it’s because the toll is too expensive.
At rush hour, the bridge costs $2.50, payable by a transponder. Drivers who do not have a transponder add a $5.15 cent service charge.
The bridge corporation said that fee is necessary to send out letters to collect, but it means a single trip without a transponder costs $7.65.
If that’s not paid within 30 days, Concession A25, the corporation that runs the bridge, charges an extra $28 – and the penalties go up from there.
One frequent non-payer has racked up a bill of more than $20,000, said Patrick Brien at Concession A25.
“It's a person who crossed the bridge day and night since the opening and that person never reacts to the invoice,” said Brien.
A total of 420,000 bridge crossings have gone unpaid since the bridge opened, many in spite of attempts by collection agencies, and having files handed over to minister of justice – who has the power to revoke a licence.
Philippe Viel of consumer group Union des Consommateurs gets plenty complaints about the bridge, and has filed a class action lawsuit against the bridge corporation alleging they're overcharging drivers
The toll on autoroute 30 is only $2, the group pointed out.
The corporation that runs the bridge on the 25 is unapologetic about the 7.50 price tag, however.
“This bridge is mainly for commuters, those people want to have a traffic that is going very easily,” said Brien, adding that the bridge is generally a hit.
It's been used for 25 million trips in two years – and more than 98 per cent of tolls were paid.
