Why don't people get EZ Tag? (Houston: credit card, costs, safer)

[vh56]

Just curious as to why a lot of people don't get the EZ-Tag. I can understand if you're from out of state and just passing through, but there are so many people who don't want to get the EZ-Tag even though they use toll roads everyday.

[MAROON79]

lazy
no money

[Lowexpectations]

Lack of bank accounts is another reason

[Oildog]

Maybe they dont want to give HCTRA access to a credit card info.

I have one credit card with a low limit (1k) that I use for things like auto pay of tolls and some utility payments.

[vh56]

I didn't think about the money reason, but isn't there a toll discount for using EZ-Tag?

[Caardinal46]

I love the EZ tag. I can't think of a good reason why people would not want to have one. Non-card holders should be charged a hefty fee. Maybe this would incentivize them to go ez and thus avoid some of the congestion that occurs at the toll sites/reading stations (whatever they are called).

[PedroMartinez]

Originally Posted by Caardinal46

I love the EZ tag. I can't think of a good reason why people would not want to have one. Non-card holders should be charged a hefty fee. Maybe this would incentivize them to go ez and thus avoid some of the congestion that occurs at the toll sites/reading stations (whatever they are called).

It's very annoying when the "last minute don't have a tag" drivers slam on their brakes to cut into the pay lines causing backups for the EZ tag people.

[RVD26]

Originally Posted by vh56

I didn't think about the money reason, but isn't there a toll discount for using EZ-Tag?

No, there's no discount.
Plus, you have to pay a fee to get the tag in the first place.
In addition, you have to setup a credit card/bank account to have the funds drafted from.
A lot of people are not comfortable doing that.

[oceangaia]

Yes, there is a discount at the main plazas and many others.
https://www.hctra.org/tollroads_rate...58941102444845

The toll roads have been operating almost 30 years and I have yet to hear even one complaint that someone's bank/credit account was compromised or overcharged.

The EZ Tag costs $15 and currently requires auto-pay although they are working on a cash refillable option.

An alternative is to get a TxTag, which works on all toll roads in Texas, and costs nothing if enrolled in auto-pay or $13 if not auto-pay.

[Texas Ag 93]

I haven't seen a newish toll road that had cash accepted/manned booths in years in any other big city besides Houston. Everywhere else, if you don't have a tag, they just mail you the bill, which cuts down on traffic and makes the entire interchange safer and quicker. The longer the manned booths remain, the higher the costs for labor, pensions etc, which means the longer the tolls themselves remain in place, as opposed to the road actually being paid off someday and becoming free as was the original intent. We all know that's never going to happen.