They ain’t afraid of no ghost cars.
Gov. Kathy Hochul and Mayor Eric Adams announced on Tuesday the latest effort to crack down on drivers evading tolls with ghost cars — vehicles with bogus paper license plates.
Part of that effort took place on March 11, when a newly-formed multi-agency task force impounded 73 ghost vehicles — including bikes and vans — along with issuing 282 summons and arresting eight drivers. But that’s just the tip of the iceberg, according to the elected officials.
Joining Police Commissioner Edward Caban, New York City Sheriff Anthony Miranda and MTA Chair and CEO Janno Lieber on the RFK (Triborough) Bridge, Hochul and Adams said task force members will be dispatched to bridges and tunnels around the five boroughs to screen vehicles operating with paper license plates.
“This is something we have focused on over and over again. Ghost vehicles, ghost cars, ghost bikes. They are not only a menace to our roadways, we are finding they are participating in very violent and dangerous crimes,” Adams said.
Top Cop Caban charged that these operations are not just merely about preventing the evasion of tolls but also about catching criminals who use paper plates to evade serious criminal activity such as hit-and-runs.
“We see these vehicles speeding through school zones and going through red lights. We see them collide with other cars or hitting cyclists and pedestrians and just driving away. You see them park illegally, blocking fire hydrants, handicap accessible ramps, and driveways,” Caban said. “A vehicle with a fake or obscured plate is essentially a ghost car.”
In 2022 and 2023, the NYPD, the New York City Sheriff’s Office, and their law enforcement partners arrested nearly 11,200 drivers and impounded their vehicles, seized almost 12,900 additional vehicles, and issued motorists more than 21,200 moving violation summonses, according to the Governor’s office.
“By launching this city-state task force, we are sending a clear message: if you attempt to alter your license plate to avoid traffic cameras and toll readers, you will be caught,” Hochul said. “The safety of New Yorkers is my top priority and in partnership with Mayor Adams and law enforcement, we will swiftly remove elusive vehicles from our roads. Now, I’m calling on the Legislature to join our efforts and work with us to pass additional protections for New Yorkers in the final budget.”
Hochul noted that her executive budget proposal includes legislation designed to increase fines and penalties for anyone caught driving with altered or fake plates, as well as those who sell or distribute covers to obscure license plates.
The NYPD Transportation Bureau established the inter-agency task force, which has a goal of conducting eight-hour enforcement operations, at random, once a month around the five boroughs.
Read more: NYC Congestion Pricing Starts June 30 – New Tolls Ahead
