A SHENZHEN motorist was recently sentenced to six months in prison and fined 5,000 yuan (US$727) after he was convicted of evading tolls 58 times on the expressways in Guangdong Province, according to a report by southcn.com yesterday.

The report cited a Guangdong road and bridge construction company as saying in a release Monday that this is the first case in Guangdong where toll evasion has constituted a crime.

According to the report, the Shenzhen motorist, identified by his family name Ye, had intentionally evaded tolls on expressways 58 times using various methods, such as closely following the car in front of him through a toll gate when exiting an expressway and discarding toll cards. His action negatively impacted the normal order, causing his car to be put on a blacklist, the court ruling said.

The car driven by Ye showed up again at a Zijin East toll gate on Jiebo Expressway on June 17, when staff with the operator of Jiebo Expressway and police jointly busted Ye and held him under criminal detention.

In October, Zijin people’s procuratorate filed for public prosecution at the Zijin people’s court. The trial was opened Oct. 17.

The police authority warned that drivers who try to evade expressway tolls will be found guilty of a crime.

(Wang Jingli)