The US company Rent A Toll has announced the launch of a new agreement between Pass24 Prepaid Tolls in Oakland and San Francisco with Thrifty Car Rental and Dollar Rent-A-Car.

The Pass24 scheme will be extended to customers from both of the hire car companies, being already in place in Florida, Colorado and Texas. The system will allow rental drivers to bypass cash lanes on the bridges in the San Francisco area, utilising the express toll lanes. This effectively means doing without the hassle of fumbling for change or waiting in line.

The toll system will feature an all-inclusive low daily or weekly rate which is dependent on the market. Unlimited toll use across the Oakland/ San Francisco area can be had for $9.95 per day, or $39.95 per week.

To utilise the Pass24 scheme; drivers are required to travel in lanes that are clearly marked with the FasTrak Only logo. No transponder is required for the vehicles as toll collection is generated by license plate identification. Additional CCTV footage is also taken of all transactions should any disputes arise.

The service charge for the Pass24 service is simply added onto the receipt at the time of drop-off, thereby avoiding post-billing fees that have traditionally been added to the hirer’s credit card after delivery.

Bridges which offer the Pass24 toll system include the Golden Gate, Richmond-San Rafael, Antioch, Benicia Martinez, San Mateo-Hayward, Carquinez Dumbarton and the San Francisco-Oakland Bay. RTL administers the electronic toll collection system (ETC) which to date has processed in excess of two million transactions since its inception in 2006.