Langley resident Tim Delesalle crosses the Golden Ears Bridge three or four times a week, and also pays tolls to cross the Port Mann Bridge. To keep track of things, he signed up for combined billing from TReO and got electronic decals for all three of his vehicles.
“All of these bills I thought that my account was in good standing,” said Delasalle
One of the vehicles needed a windshield replacement so the decal got moved. Delasalle also replaced the licence plate on the vehicle and that triggered a new Quickpass account.
Quickpass is the electronic tolling system for the Golden Ears Bridge. TReO requires drivers to report changes to plates and if the decal is tampered with, it must be replaced. Delasalle didn’t do either and says he was unaware a new account had been started.
Years before, Delasalle said he had requested paper billing on his accounts. Quickpass claims it started emailing statements on the new account to Delasalle. He says he didn’t see them and the first paper bill to arrive, this July, was for more than $4,400. That’s equivalent to 1,019 crossings in a month on the Golden Ears Bridge at the $4.35 pay as you go rate.
Delasalle said he’d received billing on two other previous Quickpass accounts and hasn’t moved in 12 years.
“I almost fell over,” Delasalle told us.
More than $2,100 of the big bill was interest on outstanding charges.
“It’s unbelievable to think. The rate on that must be massive,” says Jordan Bateman of the Canadian Taxpayers Federation “ When your bill almost doubles just because of interest, that seems a bit fishy to me.”
The bylaw governing the Golden Ears bridge allows them to charge an interest penalty of 26.82 per cent on outstanding balances.
When we asked about the case, Quickpass directed us to TransLink. In a written statement, TransLink defended its high interest penalties on past due bills. It said it mails a warning letter at 90 days, another at 120 days and said it’s up to the driver to check with them a bill isn’t received to avoid penalties and charges.
Delasalle did have to pay the bill, in the end, because otherwise he would have been unable to renew his car insurance. Quickpass did cut $1,000 in interest but Delasalle wants all the interest paid back.
“I believe I’m owed about $2,200 in interest charges by itself, ” Delasalle told us. In comparison, TReO charges 19 percent interest on outstanding charges – far less than Quickpass.
After we got involved, TransLink said they’d take another look at his bill but wouldn’t promise anything.
The Canadian Taxpayers Federation is calling for one agency, one operator and one system because it says as more toll bridges come on stream the confusion will only grow.
