Highway toll evasion is on the rise with negative consequences for both the businesses that operate toll roads and the government, which collects taxes from those businesses.

“The problem is getting out of control, we’re talking about thousands of cases,” said Marco Frías, director of the Association of Road Infrastructure Concessionaires in an interview with the newspaper El Heraldo de México.

Adding to the problem, some people are sharing videos of toll evasion on social media, Frías said.

“People are not paying businesses for the service [they provide], that generates less taxes for the state and the government is directly affected,” he said.

Some drivers raise the gate and drive through, Frías said. Others drive through the barrier and break it. Motorcyclists simply go around the gate and continue on their way.

Concessionaires are working with authorities to address the problem, Frías said. One option is identifying license plates using cameras, something that is not included in current regulations.

Toll evasion is increasingly common in Sinaloa and México state. Authorities are concerned that people in other areas may begin to replicate the behavior.

Source: El Heraldo de México (sp)