With congestion pricing now in effect in NYC, officials are cracking down on obscured license plates, or "ghost plates," to avoid the toll.

The toll, known as congestion pricing, is meant to reduce traffic gridlock in densely packed Manhattan while also raising money to help fix the city’s ailing public transit infrastructure. It formally took effect Sunday.

Getting into New York City from New Jersey, Pennsylvania, or Delaware by car will mean paying the new congestion fee. The Congestion Relief Zone covers all of Manhattan below 60th Street — think Midtown, Lower Manhattan, and the neighborhoods where most of NYC’s iconic attractions are located.

There have been five similar attacks in just a few days, causing people to feel that congestion pricing is forcing people back on the trains. The thought is, the cops are not able to handle the demand for safety. Keeping it real, New York has been on this slippery slope since we all came out of the COVID-19 pandemic. But, what about tourism?

The new toll, up to $9 for passenger cars at peak times, is intended to support public transit, reduce traffic, and help emergency vehicles move faster.

The crackdown could include a $50 fine for parked cars with obstructed plates, in addition to penalties for those caught driving through toll areas undetected.

Anticipating a rise in so-called "ghost vehicles" with the advent of congestion pricing, New York City officials are looking to give police more leeway to go after drivers who hide or obstruct their license plates.

New York City officials say they will ramp up enforcement efforts against drivers trying to evade the new $9 congestion pricing toll by obscurig their license plates. FOX 5 NY's Linda Schmidt has the story.

The NYPD is warning drivers not to fake or cover their license plates before entering the congestion pricing zone in Manhattan. The agency’s Transportation Bureau posted two photos to X on Tuesday of two license plates – both showing tape covering one letter.

One day after New York City completed its first full weekday of the new congestion pricing tolling program, police are cracking down on motorists trying to bypass the system. Assisting the MTA, the NYPD stopped several drivers who tried to cover up parts of their license plates to avoid being charged as they entered the congestion zone.