New York City Mayor Eric Adams is adopting a zero-tolerance approach to “ghost cars” on his streets. The enforcement of congestion pricing in certain areas of the city has inspired a wave of illegal activity, with people obscuring their license plates, altering them in some way, or forging them to avoid being charged the new toll fees.
NYC drivers trying to avoid tolls by illegal means are being watched
Illegal “ghost cars” refer to vehicles that are almost untraceable by traffic cameras and toll readers due to being fitted with forged or altered license plates, and New York Mayor Eric Adams is clamping down. Mayor Adams has formed an interagency task force to identify vehicles sitting in parking spaces with problematic or illegal plates.
A team of 15 uniformed New York City Police Department (NYPD) members have been assigned to ghost car identification and removal. The officers will be assisted in their removal and impounding by the New York City Department of Sanitation. In the first five nights of operation, 295 ghost cars were picked up. Now, there are that many free parking spaces available to residents of the city who comply with safety requirements and regulations.
Since Mayor Eric Adams took office, officials say they have removed 73,000 ghost cars and unregistered vehicles from New York’s streets, including scooters and all-terrain vehicles.
In more news affecting vehicle owners in New York, the New York State Department of Motor Vehicles is reminding riders to register their snowmobiles for the winter season of 2024/25. Snowmobile registrations have to be renewed annually and people can be fined for neglecting to do so.
City officials highlight the reasons behind clamping down on ghost cars
Mayor Adams emphasized the importance of removing illegal vehicles from the streets:
“Far too often, ghost cars are not only used to evade toll readers, but are also being used in more serious crimes, including shootings, robberies, and hit-and-runs. This new task force will identify, target, and tow illegal ghost cars that are parked on our streets as the DSNY and the NYPD become the real-life ghost busters.”
New York City Department of Transportation Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez has plans for the future:
“Drivers who obscure their license plate think they are above the law and put everyone at risk. By expanding the definition of what is illegal, we will be able to hold reckless drivers accountable and create safer and more accessible streets for all.”
DSNY Commissioner Jessica Tisch highlighted the range of crimes related to ghost cars:
“Ghost cars come in many flavors. The owners of these vehicles evade detection from law enforcement by operating with no plates, fake plates, plates not registered to a vehicle, or expired plates. These untraceable vehicles show up at the scenes of serious crimes like robbery, trafficking, or assault. Ghost car drivers have been caught with firearms, caught leaving the scene of a crash, and more. Now, we have a strategy to get them where they’re parked, every hour of every day.”
New rules governing license plate compliance are on the cards
There are two new rules being proposed to govern vehicle license plates in New York City:
- Drivers will have to make sure that license plates are all properly displayed, kept clean, and not covered by any sort of material or substance that makes them unreadable.
- No vehicle will be allowed to be parked with a cover that obscures its VIN (vehicle identification number), plates, registration, or inspection stickers.
Drivers will be issued a $50 fine if they are found to be in contravention of the new guidelines. Under state law, drivers who obscure their plates can actually be fined up to $500.
On February 6, 2025, a public hearing will be held where New Yorkers can comment.
In more news about the new tolls being enforced in New York City, on January 5, 2025, the toll, referred to as “congestion pricing,” came into effect. There are a few routes whereby drivers can avoid the charge.