According to data from the Ministry of Transport obtained by g1, as of October 29, 724,414 drivers had not yet paid electronic toll fees, known as "free flow".
The number considers people who passed through the gates until October 17th. They have until November 16th to pay the fees without receiving a fine, but anyone who has already paid the toll can request a refund. (see how below)
🔎 Free flow is an electronic toll system without gates that charges the fare automatically, without the driver having to stop or reduce speed.
At the end of April, the Ministry of Transport suspended 2,627,504 fines for non-payment of free flow, to ensure adequate time for the integration and full functioning of the systems.
There was a fragmentation of payment channels between concessionaires.
The suspension of fines lasted 200 days. As the regular deadline to pay the toll is 30 days, drivers who passed through the toll gates after October 17th are still within the deadline to pay the toll before being fined.
🚦 Failure to pay the toll is a serious infraction, with a fine of R$ 195.23 and five points on your driver's license. Drivers who pay their fees by November 16th may also have the points relating to the infractions covered by the suspension removed from their driver's license.
How to pay free flow
To check tickets via free flow, the driver needs to:
Open the Brazilian CNH application;
Tap on the “Vehicles” option;
Choose and tap the vehicle from the displayed list;
Tap on the “Electronic toll” option.
In this area, it is possible to consult the tickets recorded by free flow, access the concessionaire's payment channel and check whether the fare has been paid.
For those who use a tag, nothing changes: the charge continues to be made automatically by the company hired by the driver.
You can also use the app to dispute a charge if you identify a ticket that was not made by your vehicle.
Tickets are registered in the application for up to five years. The driver has up to 30 days after receiving notification of passing through the gate to pay the toll.
Only the vehicle owner can consult notifications, ticket records and amounts charged by electronic toll. Unlike a traffic fine, the toll charge cannot be transferred to another driver.
How to request a refund of a fine already paid
Drivers who paid fines before or during the suspension period can request a refund through the gov.br portal.
See the step by step:
Access the ANTT website:
Click or tap on the three lines in the top left corner;
Select “Fines and Services” and then click or tap “Services”;
Click or tap “Application for refund of Fines and Fees”;
Complete the application;
Access the gov.br website to file the completed refund request;
Click or tap “Start” and log in with your gov.br account;
Fill in the requested fields;
In the “Request type” field, select “Protocol Documents with ANTT”;
Follow the on-screen instructions to attach the document and submit the request.
What is electronic toll (free flow)?
The electronic toll, or free flow (“free flow”, in English), is a charging system that eliminates booths, gates and the mandatory use of tags by drivers.
Cameras and sensors identify vehicles as they pass, without drivers having to stop or reduce speed. On some highways, the technology also allows the fare to be calculated according to the distance traveled.
Electronic tolling is already used in more than 20 countries, including Norway, Portugal, the United States, Italy, China and Chile — which is among the pioneers in adopting the technology in Latin America.
Does the free flow toll impose a fine?
No. The free flow system only identifies the vehicle and records the fare charge. The driver is not fined for passing through the gate, but may be penalized if he does not pay the toll within the deadline.
Failure to pay is considered toll evasion, a serious infraction that carries a fine of R$195.23 and five points on your driver's license.
How is toll charged?
Free flow uses both tags already known by Brazilian drivers and cameras and sensors that allow vehicles without this device to be identified.
The cameras and sensors are installed on gantries over the highways. They identify vehicles through tags or by reading license plates, allowing toll charges to be recorded.
Some cameras record 3D images to identify the type of vehicle, the number of axles and which are suspended, that is, without contact with the asphalt. This information helps calculate the correct toll amount, especially for trucks.
The system also uses infrared lights to identify vehicles even in low visibility conditions, such as fog or smoke.
