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Fast food bags, foliage and more: MTA officers arrest 19 in latest ‘ghost car’ crackdown
By
Giulia Heyward
Published May 12, 2024
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Marc A. Hermann / MTA
By
Giulia Heyward
Published May 12, 2024
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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,”
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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.
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