SunPass billing crash drives users to anger, frustration

As the Florida Department of Transportation catches up on delayed billing for its statewide SunPass transponder system, there has been far less progress in resolving related SunPass impacts to many users of E-PASS transponders and to drivers on Central Florida’s most popular toll roads.

The SunPass billing system crashed with a botched upgrade in early June, resulting in tolls not being posted to SunPass users’ accounts.

But the debacle also disrupted billing for E-PASS transponders and for Central Florida Expressway Authority toll roads. E-PASS belongs to the Orlando-based authority.

SunPass and E-PASS are linked in that both work on Florida Department of Transportation toll roads, such as Florida’s Turnpike, and on Central Florida Expressway Authority roads, such as State Road 408 through Orlando.

The state Department of Transportation and its vendor, Conduent, have struggled to restore billing for SunPass users.

SunPass user Susan Maille of Kissimmee said SunPass’ automated charges to her credit card have resumed “one after anoth-

er.” However, she has not been able to check online account information to verify the accuracy of the charges.

“I feel like I’m getting ripped off,” she said. “As far as I'm concerned they should give me credits for the screw job they gave me and everyone else.”

The state road agency said today that more 90 percent of backlogged tolls – or more than 290 million transactions – have been posted on accounts of SunPass users.

Transportation department officials have said the agency is establishing a process for reimbursing SunPass customers who incur bank or credit card overdraft fees tied to automatic withdrawals for SunPass toll payments.

“To make these customers whole, we are beginning the process of standing up a new system where we can work with impacted customers to make them whole, and then forward the bill straight to Conduent,” state transportation secretary Mike Dew said in a statement.

Directions for seeking reimbursements will be provided in “coming days,” according to the agency.

A more significant backlog remains for users of E-PASS on state toll roads and for SunPass drivers on Central Florida Expressway Authority toll roads.

Of nearly 9.7 million backlogged tolls registered by an EPASS transponder on a Florida Department of Transportation toll road, fewer than half have been posted on accounts.

Of nearly 47.8 million backlogged tolls registered by a state SunPass transponder on expressway-authority toll roads, less than a third have been posted to accounts.

Expressway authority officials worry that the clearing of those backlogged toll charges could be chaotic or financially disruptive as large sums hit customers’ accounts without warning.

Expressway authority director Laura Kelley said backlogged tolling data coming recently from the state is random.

She said the authority staff is working to program software that will provide orderly reports on toll transactions.

Kelley said also that each posting of backlogged tolls for E-PASS users will be limited to no more than two days’ worth.

“We feel like this will prevent an avalanche of posting in one day,” Kelley said.