Call to end E-ZPass fees

Senator Serphin R. Maltese sponsored legislation prohibiting the public authorities that administer the State’s E-ZPass program from charging monthly administrative service fees.
“I have gotten numerous complaints from my constituents about the one dollar administrative service charge that the MTA and the Port Authority are adding on to their customer’s E-ZPass accounts each month,” Maltese said. “It is ludicrous to nickel and dime consumers to death with this type of fee - which many may not even notice unless they thoroughly scrutinize their itemized monthly statement.”
Three different agencies authorize E-ZPass within the state, the New York State Thruway Authority, the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey and Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA). Both the Port Authority and the MTA charge a $1 fee, but the Thruway does not.
“E-ZPass is designed to ease the congestion at toll plazas. The authorities have encouraged people to use E-ZPass by offering discounts for account holders. To turn around and slap them with an unnecessary fee defeats the purpose,” Maltese said.
While the MTA’s website claims the $1 monthly account service fee was instituted last summer to “help defray the administrative costs of managing our customer’s E-ZPass accounts,” they also estimate that the monthly surcharge will generate $13.2 million annually.
“For an agency that recently announced a budget surplus of over $1 billion, making an extra $13.2 million off the backs of commuters is unconscionable,” Maltese said.
The legislation would prohibit administrative service fees on any E-ZPass account, and it is currently in the Senate Transportation Committee.