Some get free ride on 407

Company won't say why it is offering the deal, or how many were invited

- CALVI LEON

A 407 ETR promotion offers selected drivers free rush-hour access on weekdays between April 1 and June 30.

When Najma Khalil received a promotional email offering free access to Hwy. 407 during rush hour, she immediately thought it was a scam.

“I was surprised,” said the Hamilton resident, who has only used the highway twice since buying a transponder last summer. “It had my licence plate number on it, too, so it’s very specific.”

As it turns out, the promotion was real — and Khalil wasn’t the only lucky recipient. Select drivers across the GTA will be allowed to use the tolled highway for free during rush hour Monday through Friday between April 1 and June 30.

The offer, which the 407 ETR says was randomly distributed to an undisclosed number of customers with a “specific highway usage pattern,” will run between 7 a.m. and 9:30 a.m. and 3 p.m. and 5:30 p.m., excluding statutory holidays.

Company spokesperson Jeff Dean said the promotion was introduced to encourage more drivers to use the highway.

“Our team carefully studies traffic patterns along the highway to better understand where we have additional capacity,” he said in an emailed statement.

“407 ETR uses promotions to encourage use to reduce congestion on alternate routes. Every driver on Hwy. 407 ETR is one less vehicle on a congested alternate route.”