Legal Definitions - tollage

Tollage refers to the payment required for the use of a specific infrastructure or service, such as a road, bridge, or waterway. It can also describe the actual funds collected through such charges, or the legal authority or right granted to an entity to impose and collect these fees.

• Imagine a motorist driving on a newly constructed private highway that offers a faster route to their destination. When they reach the designated collection point and pay the required fee to continue their journey, that payment constitutes tollage. Similarly, the total amount of money collected by the highway operating company from all drivers using that route would also be referred to as tollage.

• A municipal government might enter into an agreement with a private construction firm, granting them the exclusive right to build and operate a new bridge connecting two parts of the city. As part of this agreement, the firm is given the legal authority to charge vehicles a fee for using the bridge. This granted authority to collect fees is an example of the tollage right or franchise held by the private firm.

• Consider a large shipping company whose cargo vessels need to traverse a historic canal to shorten their journey between two major oceans. The fee that the shipping company pays to the canal authority for each vessel to pass through is a form of tollage. This payment covers the use of the canal's infrastructure and services, allowing the authority to maintain and operate this vital waterway.