New York City has found itself grappling with the issue of ‘ghost cars’.
The term may conjure up images of possessed automobiles like Stephen King’s Christine, but it’s not quite as spooky.
What we’re talking about here is cars with fake, obscured or altered license plates.
City officials have stressed that this is proving to be a costly problem for the Big Apple.
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Why are ghost cars on the rise in New York City?
In a recent press conference, city officials emphasized that the problem is multifaceted.
Not only do these ghost cars mean lost revenue for the city, but they are linked to violent crime.
The practice of using fake license plates is often done to help drivers avoid the pricey tolls in NYC.
Not only that but it helps them swerve the congestion pricing, which is set to charge drivers $9.
In 2028, this will rise to $12 and then to $16 in 2031.
Using a improper license plate also helps speeding drivers evade the cameras set up across the city.
There’s also the fact that criminals will use such cars to commit violent offenses, as they won’t be as easily tracked by authorities.
Car crime is a big problem in the US, with stolen cars frequently making the headlines.
Fortunately, they sometimes turn up again – as was the case with this man in Fresno, California.
How widespread is this problem?
ABC7 NY reported that over 73,000 ghost cars had been removed from the roads of New York City in the last three years.
That’s nothing to sneeze at, but it’s not a substantial percentage in a city of approximately two million cars.
The East Coast has a proud history when it comes to its automobiles.
Even the taxis there are iconic, and their yellow colors are recognizable around the world for good reason.
A few months back, NYC Mayor Eric Adams launched a interagency task force to get ghost cars off the streets.
In a speech, the Mayor said: “Far too often, ghost cars are not only used to evade toll readers, but are also being used in more serious crimes, including shootings, robberies, and hit-and-runs.
“This new task force will identify, target, and tow illegal ghost cars that are parked on our streets as the DSNY and the NYPD become the real-life ghost busters.
“Today, we are sending an important message to everyone who drives on the streets of our city: fake plates are a real crime and if you leave a car on city streets with forged, stolen, or altered plates, it won’t be there when you get back.
“Our streets must be safer, and that’s why our teams will continue to work 24/7 to ensure New Yorkers’ safety.”
This practice has been on the rise since the Pandemic, according to New York State Assembly member Jennifer Rajkumar.
She said: “Drivers of these untraceable cars are using these plates to commit crimes, cover up stolen vehicles, evade their fair share of tolls, and violate traffic laws with impunity.
“Together, we will be the exorcist that banishes the ghost cars haunting New York City.”
The ghost puns just write themselves, really.
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