SOME motorists have found themselves paying more at the Portmore, Spanish Town, Vineyards and May Pen toll plazas since January 1, but the developers of the toll road contend this is a result of some vehicles being placed in the categories that they should have been in the first place.

Managing director of TransJamaican Highway Limited Guillaume Allain told the Jamaica Observer that this is not a reclassification of vehicles but an overdue enforcement of the correct fares based on the gazetted measurements.

“It has always been this way since the operational opening in 2003. It’s not a reclassification. For a small minority of cars, some people are on the edge of the class (for example) some were longer than 5.5 metres and should have been Class 3. What we are doing now is just enforcing the classification as per the contract,” he stated, pointing out that what previously obtained had equated to “a benefit for the motorists”.

At the same time, he said the operators have never seen the fact that some vehicles were not paying the correct fare as a loss, and had not done any such quantification. Allain said that, although some people will end up paying more, they are “finally paying the price they should have paid after benefiting from a discount. We are coming back to what should have been”.

But some unsuspecting motorists are not pleased that there was no notice. Instead, the developers have opted to issue flyers and have toll booth cashiers inform the motorists at the point of payment.

“We felt it was better to communicate directly with our customers. We have been educating toll personnel who have direct contact with the motorists… we have had a lot of questions (but) people have (also) been understanding. Most of them understood that it was not a change, but enforcement,” Allain stated.

The move has not gone down well with one upset Portmore resident who wrote to TransJamaican Highway. “I was most surprised this morning to find that my toll fee had increased …I was informed that my motor vehicle, which is a Suzuki Grand Vitara 4 cylinder — research indicates that this vehicle is less than 1.70m …The motor vehicle happens to be 66.7 inches or 1.69418m, which is less than 1.70m …I therefore should be in Class 1 and not Class 2,” the motorist, who identified herself as a civil servant, wrote to the developers.

In response, the toll developers said: “Please note… various factors can affect the dimensions detected. These include modifications made to vehicles such as an additional roof rack, front grill, body kit, larger or smaller rims/tyres, etc. Over or under-inflated tyres can also affect the dimension reading. Even a slight change in the load being carried within your vehicle may result in different readings at various times.”

The developers pointed out that, while the manufacturer’s specifications state that the particular vehicle was made to certain dimensions, “these factors could cause the actual dimensions of the vehicle to be different, and result in your vehicle falling within another class”.

Currently, Class 1 vehicles pay $180 at the Portmore Plaza, $130 at the Spanish Town Plaza, $360 at Vineyards, and $90 at May Pen. Class 2 vehicles pay $290, $200, $520 and $140; while the fares for Class 3 vehicles are: $550, $360, $990, $280.

According to the Toll Road Act, Class 1 vehicles are those motor vehicles not exceeding 1.7 metres high of any length; Class 2 refers to vehicles more than 1.7 metres high but less than 5.5 metres long; and Class 3 are those vehicles more than 1.7 metres high and more than 5.5 metres long.