Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
News
Fast food bags, foliage and more: MTA officers arrest 19 in latest ‘ghost car’ crackdown
By
Giulia Heyward
Published May 12, 2024
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
Never miss a story
Email address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .
Marc A. Hermann / MTA
By
Giulia Heyward
Published May 12, 2024
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
We rely on your support to make local news available to all
Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
The NYPD arrested 19 people and doled out 100 summonses in one day as part of a joint operation with other law enforcement and transportation agencies to curb the number of drivers evading tolls and other fines by using cars with fake or obscured license plates — known as “ghost cars” — around the city.
The task force — which began cracking down on “ghost cars” in March under the directive of Mayor Eric Adams and Gov. Kathy Hochul — is the latest in ongoing efforts to control a persistent problem in the city: drivers slapping illegal, or obscured, license plates onto cars in order to avoid being charged tolls and other fines. The MTA said its latest interagency operation on Wednesday resulted in the seizing of 57 vehicles, totaling $302,000 in unpaid fees.
The MTA provided photos from Wednesday’s seizures showing one vehicle with what appears to be a fast food bag wrapped around the license plate. Another photo shows a vehicle with the paint removed from the plate and foliage jammed into its cover.
Authorities seize multiple vehicles at the Cross Bay Veterans Memorial Bridge on Wednesday, May 8, 2024.
Marc A. Hermann / MTA
The city lost $108 million last year from the sheer volume of drivers skirting speed cameras with fake or obscured plates, according to a recent report from the city comptroller’s office. And with the price of driving around Manhattan set to increase via congestion pricing, authorities are expecting even more people to resort to using faulty plates to avoid paying the fines.
The operation on Wednesday took place across multiple busy bridges, including the Cross Bay Veterans Memorial Bridge, Marine Parkway-Gil Hodges Bridge, George Washington Bridge, Goethals Bridge and Bayonne Bridge.
And with the inclusion of Wednesday’s operations, the task force is now responsible for 675 seized vehicles, 161 arrests and 4,771 summonses, MTA officials said in a release.
“No one is above the law,” Adams said at a press conference announcing the new task force, back in March. “These cars might not have license plates, but we’ve got their number, and we’re going after anyone who tries to make their car untraceable,”
Tagged
new york city
public safety
transportation
Giulia Heyward
Giulia Heyward is a breaking news reporter on the Day-Of desk. She previously worked at NPR, as a breaking news reporter, and the New York Times, as a reporting fellow on the national desk. Her work has also appeared in CNN, The Atlantic and Politico. Got a tip? Email [email protected] or more securely on signal at 917-715-1458.
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE news
Deer are all over New Jersey roads looking for sex, state officials warn
Mid-October through mid-December is deer mating season, which can be a danger to drivers as the sex-seeking creatures cross roadways throughout the Garden State.
By
Rosemary Misdary
Published Oct 16, 2026 at 4:22 p.m. ET
Man messaged 'I got straight poison' before giving NYC college students fentanyl, feds say
A transcript from an April court hearing sheds new light on what transpired at Fashion Institute of Technology.
By
Samantha Max
News
Man messaged 'I got straight poison' before giving NYC college students fentanyl, feds say
A transcript from an April court hearing sheds new light on what transpired at Fashion Institute of Technology.
By
Samantha Max
Inside the plan to fix the nearly collapsed Pfizer Building, 1/64th of an inch at a time
By
David Brand
School bus carrying autistic students got lost in Brooklyn for 4 hours last year
By
Jessica Gould
NYC’s bridges can last 'forever,' if we take care of them
By
Clayton Guse
Never miss a story
Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.
Sign upEmail address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .