Today: Higher Tolls for Poorly Mounted E-ZPass Transponders on Newport Bridge

NEWPORT, RI—Today's the day the state authority in charge of the Claiborne Pell Newport Bridge will start penalizing drivers with improperly mounted E-ZPass transponders with higher tolls.

Every month, according to the Rhode Island Turnpike and Bridge Authority, more than 1,000 cars drove through the toll plaza with improperly mounted transponders. They cause traffic delays and dramatically increase the risk of crashes.

Poorly-mounted transponders also put employees at the toll plaza at risk as they help motorists when a gate doesn't open.

The higher toll is $2 per axle, which will be $4 per passenger car. Vehicles with more than two axles will pay more. And, RITBA says, they might charge a $25 administration fee and could force repeat offenders to forfeit their transponders.

Word of the more stringent rules went out on June 20 when the turnpike authority began a public information campaign.

Properly mounting a transponder is easy. Here are the four basic tips offered by the RITBA:

• Sit inside your vehicle facing forward. Select a location behind and to the right of the rearview mirror. The spot should be at least 4” below the vehicle’s frame and should be clean and dry.
• Do not remove the adhesive fasteners from the back of the transponder. Simply peel off the plastic backing to reveal the sticky surface of the fasteners.
• With the E-ZPass logo facing you with the arrows pointing up, right side up, affix the entire transponder assembly to the selected spot on the inside of your windshield.
• Press the entire transponder assembly firmly in place and hold for one to two seconds. The installation process is now complete.