Man refuses toll payments and says he would rather be shot

Freddy Voldstad refuses to pay road tolls and says he would rather be executed than give in to what he calls “sick bills”, Dagbladet reports.

Voldstad’s car can be heard before it appears in the narrow streets of Tønsberg. He does not drive an electric car to benefit from lower toll charges, and says he has no intention of paying the bills he receives from toll companies.

“I think it is a disgrace,” Voldstad told Dagbladet.

In an interview with Tønsbergs Blad, he said he would rather be executed in public than pay tolls.

“I stand by that. If anyone wants to shoot me, they are more than welcome,” he said.

Voldstad’s tone is firm, but he continues to smile and greet passers-by while speaking loudly about where he could be shot. “It does not really matter where, but I would rather be shot than be trapped in my own country,” he said.

Calls the bills “sick”

His drawer has filled with bills from toll companies. The cost of driving around Tønsberg increased after a new toll ring was introduced on July 1.

Tønsbergs Blad has also reported on taxi drivers who say they received monthly toll bills of nearly 14,000 kroner after the new toll ring was introduced. Voldstad estimates that his own monthly bills have amounted to between 1,700 and 1,800 kroner since July 1.

“I do not pay these sick bills, such as tolls. Because it is sick,” he said.

When asked what he does with the bills, Voldstad said he sends them back to the state and asks the state to settle them.

Voldstad says motorists already pay road tax and argues that the state is therefore responsible for providing a usable road network. He also believes that charging tolls in addition violates human rights.

Ready for another court case

In 2011, toll companies took Voldstad to court after he had refused to pay his bills for an extended period. The case ended with a payment claim of nearly 14,000 kroner.

“People who support my cause organised a collection, so I did not pay it myself,” he said.

Voldstad was sitting on a bench outside the second-hand shop Mormors kjeller, which he has run since the 1970s. He said he was prepared for another court case and was not worried about the consequences of repeated reminders and debt-collection warnings.

“They are going to take everything I own, but it does not matter. They cannot take my soul, my joy or my freedom,” he said.

Voldstad believes paying tolls would violate his freedom.

“You can shoot a free man instead,” he said.