Cases of Toll Fee Nonpayment Increased by Over 50% in 5 Years
Top 10 Individuals Account for 6,464 Cases and 39.23 Million Won in Unpaid Fees
Additional Toll Fee Nonpayment Also Serious... Less Than Half Collected
On the 13th, ahead of the Chuseok holiday, the southbound lanes of the Gyeongbu Expressway viewed from Jamwon IC in Seocho-gu, Seoul, were congested as returning holiday travelers and commuters crowded the road. Photo by Jinhyung Kang aymsdream@
Cases of unpaid highway tolls have reportedly increased by more than 50% over the past five years.
According to data received on the 18th from Korea Expressway Corporation by Min Hong-cheol, a member of the National Assembly's Land, Infrastructure and Transport Committee from the Democratic Party of Korea, there were 116.43 million cases of unpaid tolls over the five years from 2019 to last year. The number of unpaid cases was 19.292 million in 2019, 19.944 million in 2020, 21.943 million in 2021, 25.286 million in 2022, and 29.938 million last year, marking a 55.1% increase over five years. The amount of unpaid tolls also increased by 26.3 billion KRW (51.6%) compared to five years ago.
The top 10 toll defaulters had a combined total of 6,464 unpaid cases, with their unpaid tolls amounting to 39.23 million KRW. The top defaulter failed to pay tolls 802 times, totaling 5.619 million KRW. This amount is equivalent to making 137 round trips between Seoul and Busan toll gates.
The issue of unpaid additional tolls is also serious. Additional tolls are fees imposed on drivers who intentionally avoid paying tolls through fraudulent methods such as unauthorized passage through general lanes or not attaching a toll device. From 2019 to 2023, additional tolls were imposed on 4.452 million cases, totaling 107.7 billion KRW. However, the amount collected by the Expressway Corporation was less than half, at 52.1 billion KRW (48.4%).
The collection rate for amounts incurred in 2018 was only 56.8% as of the first half of this year. Furthermore, the collection rate for additional tolls sharply declined from 56% in 2019 to 36.7% in 2023. In response, Assemblyman Min Hong-cheol pointed out, "To eradicate toll evasion, related systems must be further strengthened and strict measures should be established."
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