By Claude Mills, Staff ReporterFOR THE refusal to pay $20, he lost $50,000.
On Thursday, a truck driver's refusal to pay the $20 balance of a required $120 toll at the Vineyards Toll Plaza on the Old Harbour bypass, set in motion a chain of events that caused a bigger 'toll' being taken on his pocketbook.
Apart from gaining the dubious distinction of being the first person arrested at the Vineyards Toll Plaza, the driver, Donald Genus, employed to a contractor working with Lasco Distributors Ltd., was slapped with a $50,000 bail charge. He faces the prospect of a larger fine when he appears before the court soon.
The Ferry police confirmed the incident.
"This is the first time that something like this has happened at the toll plaza. The driver paid $100 but refused to pay the extra $20 needed for a truck of that size, and he also refused to use the reverse lane to leave the kiosk. We are not sure whether he wanted a 'blie', but he was eventually arrested by the Highway Patrol. He has been released on $50,000 bail," a source told The Gleaner yesterday.
At the toll plaza, class one vehicles (cars) are expected to pay a charge of $50, class two vehicles (vans and large SUVs) require $60, while class three vehicles (trucks) are required to pay $120.
Representatives of Lasco Distributors Ltd. apologised for the situation, calling it 'regrettable' but were quick to add that "the person is not directly employed to the company but instead works for a contractor employed to the organisation.
