OAKLAND, Calif. -- Motorists who run through Bay Area toll booths without paying may soon have their cars booted or impounded and even lose their licenses, following an action Wednesday by the region's most powerful transportation commission.

The Metropolitan Transportation Commission's Bay Area Toll Authority -- which runs the toll taking at Bay Area bridges -- voted Wednesday to impose harsh penalties on scofflaws who have been increasingly running through unmanned FasTrak toll booths, especially at the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge.

What's more, the commision also approved plans to flash signs in the toll plaza alerting drivers someone has failed to pay the $4.00 toll.

The actions took place after KTVU Channel 2 News last fall revealed the state is losing some $3 million a month from toll cheats, with little or no enforcement to recover the money.

In the report, KTVU found that toll booth cameras on the seven Bay Area bridges have recorded about 300,000 driver violations every month, with some 3,000 chronic cheaters. One driver was shown to have cheated tolls a total of 637 times.

Officials say a large percentage of toll violators are driving cars with dealer tags, so they are considering legislation that would require car dealers to issue license plates.

But some drivers say getting in a Fastrak lane can be an honest mistake.

"There's extensive lanes and you don't know which one is what because they narrow down to a very few. Sometimes, I think the some people get into the Fastrak lane unknowingly," said San Pablo resident Yolanda Anderson.

Toll authority staff say they do understand and only intend to vigorously pursue repeat offenders.