U.S. and out-of-province drivers who don’t pay their tolls for the Port Mann Bridge could face a debt collector in the future, say officials.  

A one-way toll for an unregistered passenger vehicle on the Port Mann Bridge costs $1.50 until March 2013. After that, the toll goes up to $3.00.

Right now, unregistered drivers can pay before or after they cross the bridge, or wait for an invoice in the mail.  Payment for unregistered vehicles is linked to its license place.

If a toll goes unpaid for a week, an invoice will be issued for the crossing(s), along with a $2.30 License Plate Processing Fee.  TReO says the processing cost is associated with identifying the driver and issuing the bill.  

TReO has retained a company in Washington State to provide contact information for U.S. drivers, so that invoices can be mailed to American users.  

Unpaid tolls may be sent to collections, but the decision will be made on a case-by-case basis, said spokesperson Max Logan.

The decision to send unpaid tolls to a debt collector will factor in how much money is owed, and the cost to collect that money.  So a bill for $10 may not be deemed important enough to go after.
 
Logan said he’s not worried about U.S. drivers not paying their tolls because the “vast majority of visitors pay their tolls if they are aware of the toll and provided with convenient payment options.”

Officials say about five per cent of Port Mann Bridge users are out-of-province drivers, and U.S. drivers make up about one-fifth of that number.