No more traffic jams: Sun Highway bridge toll to the seaside, now payable by text message or the next day

Romanian authorities recently introduced a text message payment system for the bridge toll at Fetesti, across the Danube. All drivers who take the Sun Highway to and from the seaside have to pay this bridge toll, which usually results in huge traffic jams, especially at peak seasons. The authorities now allow drivers to either pay the fee in advance by texting their car registration number and their type of car at a short number, 7577, or to cross the bridge without paying, only to pay later. The system is active as of April 30, ahead of the May 1 mini-break, when many Romanians head to the seaside. There are four categories of cars. 1 – passenger cars and trucks under 3.5 tonnes, for which the tariff is RON 13. 2- buses with up to 23 seats, and trucks up to 12 tonnes – the fee is RON 47 per crossing. 3- buses with over 23 seats and trucks above 12 tonnes with up to 3 axis – fee of RON 64 for one crossing. 4 – trucks above 12 tonnes, with 4 axis, the fee is RON 91. The text message to 7577, valid for all telecom networks - Orange, Telekom, Vodafone and Digi Mobil – needs to include the car's registration number and the number corresponding to the vehicle type as mentioned above. Those who choose to cross the bridge and pay later have until the midnight of the next day to do so. For each bridge crossing, drivers have to pay the toll separately. A back and forth trip to the seaside would thus require two text messages. Alternatively, drives can also pay the toll at gas stations, or when crossing the bridge. One lane will be kept for those who still want to pay the toll the old way. Those who fail to pay the toll in due time will receive penalties between RON 130 and RON 910, depending on the type of car. Authorities will keep track of payments by using a video surveillance system at the toll station, and an online database for cross checking. In previous years, Romanian authorities tried to solve the traffic jam problem at the toll station by removing the bridge toll altogether at weekends. editor@romania-insider.com