Commuters Complain About Excessive EZ Pass Violation Fines

The changeover from tollbooths to cashless electronic toll payment systems has been a mixed blessing and curse for residents and commuters in metropolitan New York City.

Bridges and tunnels which at one time suffered extensive bottlenecks of congestion and added significant time to a commute, now allow traffic to flow much quicker.

But at the same time, EZ Pass violation fines have piled up for users of those thoroughfares, allegedly through no fault of their own. Some commuters say these EZ Pass violation fines exceed individual toll charges by far.

The problem that is leading to the EZ Pass violation fines are technological kinks, according to CBSNewYork. With one commuter on record in the article, the system ceased to recognize her credit card which she had on file with the Metropolitan Transit Authority (MTA) after the changeover to the electronic system.

The cashless system relies upon the placement of a transponder on the commuter’s car—usually placed on the windshield. Toll areas are equipped with antennas which communicate with the transponder as it enters the vicinity.

It charges the toll via a linked account which the consumer sets up with an online account using a major credit card. In most cities with this type of system, drivers make deposits into the account from the credit card and maintain a balance from which the toll is subtracted. They can also set up low balance email alerts or set up an automatic deposit when the balance gets low enough.

If no such account exists or is perceived, the toll equipment takes a picture of the car or license plate and issues EZ Pass violation fines, which can be several times the actual cost of the toll.

EZ Pass violation fines are meant to deter those that evade toll payment, but since the technological switch, some commuters say they are inadvertently punishing responsible citizens for what amount to glitches.

The EZ Pass violation fines can add up very fast into hundreds of dollars, according to one consumer quoted in the CBS article who amassed $2,200 in debt to the MTA. The problem with his individual situation was that his credit card information on file expired without his knowledge and he was not informed to update his account. He asked the MTA for forgiveness after becoming aware of the situation, but only had a portion of the debt removed.

The MTA and City officials have received many complaints about these allegedly erroneous fines. Suggestions have been given to sign up for alerts on your mobile device, but those that have been assessed huge fees say they’re uncomfortable relying on this advice alone and risking more fines.

Other commuters from across the country have reported similar circumstances, sometimes penalizing them with thousands of dollars in allegedly erroneous fines. If you’ve been subject to excessive toll road fines issued by EZ Pass, FasTrak, MDX, iPass or SunPass, you may qualify to join a free toll violation fines class action investigation.

Join a Free Toll Road Fees Class Action Lawsuit Investigation

If you believe you were assessed an excessive SunPass toll violation, EZPass toll violation, FasTrak violation, MDX violation, iPass violation or other electronic toll violation fee within the past four years, you may be able to take legal action against the company or companies responsible.

Learn More