Saint John bridge becomes no-token zone

A 40-year-old Saint John tradition came to an end on the last day of 2007 as Harbour Bridge toll collectors stopped accepting tokens from drivers.

As of Tuesday, the tokens have been rendered useless. Drivers must fork over 50 cents in cash or buy an electronic pass in order to cross over the bridge linking West Saint John to the rest of the city and communities to the east.

Ken Anthony, the general manager of the Saint John Harbour Bridge Authority, expects some people will be disappointed by the change in policy.

"People do love the tokens, and there's a nostalgic attachment to them, and we have a lot of people who used to use them, but the numbers have dropped off," he said.

"You can keep them as souvenirs but we're not going to [accept] them any longer."

The tokens have been used since 1968, when the bridge opened.

Drivers who aren't sentimental can bring any leftover tokens to the bridge authority's office on King Street and exchange them for cash or credit toward a bridge pass.