The numbers are large and sound awful: The Pennsylvania Turnpike failed to collect just under $105 million in tolls last year, up about $24 million from 2019.

The uncollected tolls are mostly from drivers who don’t have an E-ZPass transponder and failed to pay a bill they received in the mail after the agency took a photo of their license plate. Other delinquents are drivers who purposely cover their license or take other steps to avoid paying turnpike tolls, or who live out of state and feel no obligation to pay Pennsylvania’s piper…

One reason the amount of uncollected tolls has increased is the switch away from toll collectors to all-electronic tolling. The amount of bills unpaid by those who use the Toll By Plate system has remained consistent at about 33%, but the number or motorists using that system grew substantially when the turnpike eliminated toll collectors.