CHESAPEAKE, Va. (WAVY) — Have you ever used any of the express lanes in the area? A motorcycle rider contacted 10 On Your Side stating that he was incorrectly billed for using the HOV lanes when he wasn't supposed to be charged.
Based on the Virginia Department of Transportation's Hampton Roads Express Lanes webpage, motorcycles are permitted to use the express lanes without paying a toll. However, one motorcycle rider mentioned that this rule doesn’t seem to apply to everyone.
When the weather cooperates, Alan Howell rides his motorcycle to and from work. However, since May 2024, he has started experiencing random charges for utilizing the HOV lanes.
"Occasionally, once or twice a week, I encounter charges like 55 cents, 65 cents, and at times as high as $5 or $6 on the express lanes that use congestion-based pricing," Howell explained.
Each time, it's a different express lane that debits his account.
"It's the two-way High-Occupancy Vehicle lanes. Whether you're on Route 64 heading east or west from Tidewater to Battlefield and then onwards towards Highway 264, they all have issues," Howell stated.
Each week, Howell sends an email to E-ZPass requesting a refund.
“Howell stated that it might take a few days or up to a couple of weeks to recover all that money. He finds this situation very frustrating and would like it resolved as soon as possible."
Howell mentioned that his transponder and license plate are flagged as belonging to a motorcycle within the system. However, upon reviewing his transaction history, he noticed that this particular transponder number is being billed incorrectly.
I commute to Norfolk daily, so avoiding the traffic in those lanes makes it worthwhile," Howell stated. "However, I find it inconvenient to constantly go through the process of claiming my refund each time, even though the website says it should be free.
For nearly a year now, he has been compelled to contact E-ZPass for refund issues, however, they still haven’t found a resolution to the matter.
You never receive a reply from anybody saying, 'By the way, here's how we're addressing this issue to resolve it. We acknowledge that this is a concern, and we aim to assist you,'" he stated. "Instead, it's always an automatic response, over and over again.
10 On Your Side contacted VDOT, which stated that this problem isn't affecting other motorcycle riders. The agency is now investigating the matter further.
Howell warns other E-ZPass users to take heed from his experience: review your transaction records since you could potentially face incorrect charges.
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