Rooney issues statement on Turnpike Authority’s excessive and unfair fees

Assemblyman Rooney issued the following statement in response to reports of the New Jersey Turnpike Authority’s fee structure for E-ZPass drivers which was discussed in the Observer article from August 8, 2018:

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.