After a five-year legal battle waged by the American Trucking Associations (ATA) against the Rhode Island DOT, a federal judge has ruled unconstitutional a plan that was in the works to target commercial trucks for tolling.
The plan, named RhodeWorks, would have implemented new tolling among bridges charged only to large trucks. Instead of charging tolls based on estimated fair use of the bridges by all drivers, the decision to put all the cost on commercial trucks was not only unconstitutional but unfair and unwise.
Trucking companies are necessary for delivering essentials and ensuring that shelves are stocked. Burdening the trucking industry with excessive toll costs not only shorts the companies, but those increased costs will end up trickling down to consumers when transportation providers have to hike rates in an industry that already has narrow profit margins.
Although this is just a one-state ruling, the implications are far reaching and will hopefully deter other state DOTs from trying to implement similar discriminatory rules.