August 11,2018
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Wyckoff NJ, Assemblyman Kevin J. Rooney moves to stem excessive fees on E-ZPass users.
Rooney commented on Facebook , “Recently, the news has highlighted the excessive and outrageous administrative fees the Turnpike Authority is charging drivers for missing an E-ZPass toll. If the system malfunctions, then drivers shouldn’t be penalized. One of the primary reasons E-ZPass was created was to offer discounted rates. Charging these fees completely contradicts this purpose.
Last year I introduced three pieces of legislation – A1002, AR34, and AR35 – to address a different “discount deception” that New Jersey E-ZPass users suffer. If you use your toll transponder out of state, you’ll often be charged the cash rate instead of the discounted E-ZPass rate. My legislation moves to fix that. Drivers need to be treated fairly no matter what the circumstances. New Jersey is already the most expensive state in the country to live in; we cannot become the most expensive state to drive in too.”
In an email Rooney went on, “If you use your NJ-issued toll transponder out of state, you’ll may be charged the cash rate instead of the discounted E-ZPass rate. Especially in New York. For example, NJ drivers using the Queens-Midtown Tunnel are charged $8.50 instead of the discounted rate of $5.76. My legislation moves to fix that.
Commuters and New Jersey drivers do not deserve the outrageous fees being charged against them. Drivers need to be treated fairly no matter what the circumstances. New Jersey is already the most expensive state in the country to live in; we cannot become the most expensive state to drive in too.”
