Drivers who travel through E-ZPass lanes on New York-bound bridges without paying the toll will soon be facing double the fines.

Starting Nov. 15, the toll evasion fine will rise from $25 to $50.

The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey’s Board of Commissioners approved the increase Thursday. The board said it should encourage more drivers to open E-ZPass accounts and help relieve congestion at bridges and tunnels that link Manhattan to northern New Jersey.

The $25 fine has been in place since the agency installed E-ZPass in 1997.

The Port Authority collected $6.5 million in toll evasion administrative fees last year and expects to double that amount when the fine increases.

Agency officials say less than 2 percent of the 325,000 daily motorists who pass through E-ZPass on the bridges and tunnels do not pay the toll.

(Source: WCBSTV)