The MTA’s congestion pricing plan, which has been thoroughly criticized by commuters and politicians on both sides of the aisle, begins on Sunday.

Drivers entering lower Manhattan south of 60^th Street will pay a $9 tax to enter daily. Congressman Mike Lawler (R, NY-17), a frequent critic of the plan, called congestion pricing a “cash grab” and a “regressive tax.”

“Shame on (Governor) Kathy (Hochul), shame on (MTA CEO) Lieber and the MTA, and shame on the Democrats in the Albany Legislature who signed off on this crap,” Lawler said.

"Congestion pricing is a blatant attempt to improve the MTA’s finances on the backs of Hudson Valley residents without restoring or expanding service," added Senator Rob Rolison (R, Poughkeepsie).

Hochul announced in June that the congestion pricing plan was “paused,” before reviving it again about a week after November's elections. The state of New Jersey attempted to challenge the MTA’s congesting pricing plan, but a request for a temporary restraining order was denied by a federal judge on Friday. New Jersey plans on appealing the ruling.

During peak hours, E-ZPass drivers will pay $9 or $13.50 by mail. Peak hours run from 5 a.m. to 9 p.m. on weekdays and from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. on weekends. Off-peak fees will cost E-ZPass drivers $2.25 or $3.30 via mail.

“Our residents have shouldered rising costs and taxes for far too long, and now they are being asked to pay even more simply to get to work and support their families,” Assemblyman Brian Maher (R,C-Walden) said. “The tolls that this plan will impose on commuters beginning tomorrow are nothing more than an additional tax on those who rely on driving into the city for their livelihoods.”

The toll is expected to raise about $500 million annually for the MTA, which will be utilized to help pay for infrastructure improvements and other capital upgrades and reduce traffic and pollution in the city. However, detractors of the plan say it will cost residents too much of their hard-earned money while bank-rolling the much-maligned MTA, which continues to deal with budgetary issues.

“Commuters deserve a world-class transit system that’s safe, efficient and modern,” Hochul said in a statement this week. “Local residents deserve clean air and safe streets. Drivers deserve less congestion and reduced traffic. This is what we will begin to achieve — at a lower cost to drivers — when congestion pricing begins on January 5.”