ORLANDO, Fla, – Starting next summer, drivers who use Central Florida toll roads and "Pay-by-Plate" will be charged twice as much as drivers who use electronic payment methods.
The Central Florida Expressway Authority voted in favor Thursday to increase the rate for drivers who use Pay-by-Plate, on roads including State Road 429, State Road 408, State Road 414 and State Road 528.
The increase won't affect drivers who use electronic payments such as E-Pass and SunPass transponders and stickers.
The price increase goes into effect July 2020.
Currently, one toll has three different rates: the electronic rate, the cash rate and the pay-by-plate rate.
The cheapest rate is utilized by drivers who receive a discount by owning a transponder. Paying with cash at the toll plaza costs about 20% more, while drivers who pay a bill in the mail tied to their license plate receive a $0.20 transaction fee per toll.
The approved policy will increase that Pay-by-Plate rate, making it twice as much as the electronic rate.
According to the Expressway Authority's last board meeting, the Expressway Authority is seeing more and more Pay-by-Plate transactions and the cost to collect each one is going up.