I thought we were all in this together when it came to saving the planet.
But we’re not. At least not when it comes to forking over the coming $15 congestion pricing tax.
More information came to light about which drivers will be exempt from the fee just before the MTA board formally approved the congestion pricing program on Wednesday.
Guess what? Ordinary drivers like you and me ain’t getting a break.
It was announced the other day that vehicles in the official city fleet will not have to pay the congestion tax.
Really? Does the City of New York have no part to play in helping to improve the environment? After all, the city’s municipal hub, including City Hall and other offices, is in the congestion zone.
Why should vehicles in the city fleet be exempt from paying the congestion tax? Isn’t the administration willing to pay the price for less congested streets and cleaner air? Shouldn’t they lead by example?
True, it might not make sense to dun city workers who use their official vehicles while on official city business. After all, they’re just doing their jobs, and they need their official vehicles to do so.
But it wouldn’t be those workers paying the freight. It would be the city. It’s just moving money from one budgetary pocket to another. Maybe they could use some of the speed camera money to cover the costs of the congestion toll.
Perhaps New York City doesn’t want to funnel any more money than necessary to the MTA. But seeing as the city subway system is to be the beneficiary from the windfall of toll money that’s going to flood in from congestion pricing, shouldn’t the city administration pony up?
But that’s not the real issue here.
What about those workers, and we know that they exist, who use their “official” vehicles during non-work hours? What about those who use their official vehicles to commute back and forth to work, who use the vehicles to run all manner of personal errands during non-work hours?
We’ve all seen official city cars parked in residential neighborhoods overnight. We know that an abuse of privilege is going on. And as long as nobody gets hurt, who really cares?
But now we’ll have to care. Because those people will be exempt from paying what amounts to a big city tax. Which leaves the rest of us to pay and make up the difference, because we’ve been told that every exemption granted has to make up for somewhere else.
It’s simply unfair. And the fact that city cars will be permitted to dodge the congestion tax might encourage more abuse of the system. More workers might decide to take their city cars home.
That’s a pretty big perk we’re potentially handing to people while other workers who also have no choice where their workplaces are will still have to pay, including those who have little choice but to drive because they don’t have a lot of mass transit options.
Here’s another thing: we don’t even know exactly how many official cars will be exempt. How is this whole thing going to be policed? How do we make sure that everybody who’s supposed to pay actually pays?
It’s not going to be easy.
NYC congestion pricing exemption for official city cars is ripe for abuse (opinion)
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28.03.2024
I thought we were all in this together when it came to saving the planet.
But we’re not. At least not when it comes to forking over the coming $15 congestion pricing tax.
More information came to light about which drivers will be exempt from the fee just before the MTA board formally approved the congestion pricing program on Wednesday.
Guess what? Ordinary drivers like you and me ain’t getting a break.
It was announced the other day that vehicles in the official city fleet will not have to pay the congestion tax.
Really? Does the City of New York have no part to play in helping to improve the environment? After all, the city’s municipal hub, including City Hall and other offices, is in the congestion zone.
Why should vehicles in the city fleet be........
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