Bill to make Oklahoma Turnpike give free rides to non-emergency ambulance & fire and off-duty cops

Oklahoma Turnpike Authority would be required by law to exempt "emergency vehicles" from tolls under a bill proceeding through the Oklahoma House of Representatives. The bill HR2533 also bars tolls on police even when not on duty.

The Turnpike's present policy is not to toll ambulances, fire trucks or police when responding to an emergency and not to toll police for police work trips.

The Turnpike is already prohibited by law from tolling cops performing their official duties. HR2533 would extend free rides to cops off-duty.

The bill was introduced by Republican George Faught as a favor to the ambulance service in Muskogee which complains that last year's tolls of $4,500 were a financial hardship. Longstanding policy on the Oklahoma Turnpike as at most toll facilities is to charge tolls for emergency vehicles making non-emergency runs and traveling without sirens and flashing lights.

The state House Transportation Committee approved the HR2533 measure 6 to 3 this week and it goes to the full house next.

Rep Faught says rural ambulance services can't afford tolls.

The law is amended to prohibit tolls on law enforcement officers.

Police will apparently be entitled to toll-free rides even in their private vehicles.

COMMENT: This is pure 'pork' - a special favor for a politically connected class of people at the expense of motorists generally. Next we'll have free rides for church ministers, charity workers, nurses or teachers. What about veterans?

The list of "deserving" classes is endless.

Every exclusion undermines the toll revenue base, complicates administration of tolls, and encourages others to lobby for the favor to be extended to them. It also brings tolls into disrepute as a political racket at the expense of ordinary people.

Free tolls for strapped rural ambulance services make no more sense than free gasoline or free electricity. They need more money, not scrounged special favors.

The Turnpike should defend existing policy of only exempting from tolls those trips where fire and ambulance services are responding to an emergency and police where they are doing police duty in police vehicles.

TOLLROADSnews 2010-02-12