John Oravec paid his $24 Grand Island cashless toll bill two months late and was charged a $50 penalty for every $1 toll he failed to pay, bringing his bill to $1,224. After a lot of screaming and yelling with customer service, the Thruway Authority waived the penalties. (John Hickey/Buffalo News)
By John Hickey/Buffalo News
John Oravec paid his $24 Grand Island cashless toll bill two months late and was charged a $50 penalty for every $1 toll he failed to pay, bringing his bill to $1,224. After a lot of screaming and yelling with customer service, the Thruway Authority waived the penalties. (John Hickey/Buffalo News)
By John Hickey/Buffalo News
The state replaced toll booth collectors with an overhead camera system in March. (John Hickey/News file photo)
By John Hickey/Buffalo News
Canadian drivers are able to avoid paying tolls when crossing Grand Island. (John Hickey/News file photo)
John Oravec crossed the Grand Island bridge 24 times one month, traveling between his home in Niagara Falls and County Hall in downtown Buffalo. He saw the bills in the mail but, as the owner of two small businesses, he's a busy guy and let them sit — for at least two months, he said.
A billing problem earlier this year caused the E-ZPass system to sporadically charge some Grand Island residents $1.24 instead of the correct …
John Oravec paid his $24 Grand Island cashless toll bill two months late and was charged a $50 penalty for every $1 toll he failed to pay, bringing his bill to $1,224. After a lot of screaming and yelling with customer service, the Thruway Authority waived the penalties. (John Hickey/Buffalo News)
John Oravec paid his $24 Grand Island cashless toll bill two months late and was charged a $50 penalty for every $1 toll he failed to pay, bringing his bill to $1,224. After a lot of screaming and yelling with customer service, the Thruway Authority waived the penalties. (John Hickey/Buffalo News)
