WASHINGTON Motorcoach drivers who use a popular shortcut to reduce the time and distance it takes to bypass the District of Columbia might want to rethink their strategy.

It could save 'em hundreds of dollars.

Police have begun ticketing buses along Interstate 295 for not having a District of Columbia-required trip permit - a citation that carriers a $500 fine.

The route is used by most motorcoach drivers traveling from Baltimore and the northeast, and from Richmond and the southeast, because it is much shorter than using the Interstate 495 beltway, which is outside the district.

Operators report that patrol officers are not only stopping coaches on I-295 that do not display the permit, but also are using cameras in cruisers parked along the roadway to catch violators.

Tickets are being issued, they say, even though the drivers are not planning to stop in the district and the part of I-295 used by the buses only cuts through a small section of the southeastern portion of the district.

The D.C. Motor Carrier Division of the Department of Motor Vehicles confirms that the permit requirement is being enforced throughout the district including along I-295 and not just where there is a lot of tour and charter bus travel.

"If you enter the district anywhere without a permit or an apportionment tag that does not include the district, then you will be subject to a ticket and a fine," stresses a spokeswoman for the agency.

She did not know how many tickets have been issued, either on I-295 or totally.

Under the D.C. law, operators can avoid the need for a trip permit if their coaches are fully registered in the district or if they purchase apportioned plates in their home state and pay the district a fee based on the number of times each coach travels through the district each year.

The district-wide ticketing policy adds to the controversy the trip-permit requirement has generated since it was put into effect about a year ago.

A coalition of industry trade groups has charged that the permit requirement is simply a money grab by the district to bolster revenues and have attempted to get the district to drop it. D.C. trip permits cost $50 for each coach and are good for just six days.

The coalition sued the district last year, claiming the requirement violated federal interstate commerce laws and vehicle registration rules. However, to the surprise of virtually no one, the permits were upheld by a D.C. Superior Court judge in June, allowing police to continue enforcement efforts. An appeal is being considered.

For more information about the permits, or to apply for one, call (202)729-7083, or visit www.dmv.dc.gov and click on Trip Permit. The permits can be obtained by telephone, fax or online.