NEW YORK – If you’re enrolled in the New York State Bridge Authority’s commuter plan, you might want to check your E-ZPass receipts.
What we know:
Drivers who use the New York State Bridge Authority’s commuter program say they’ve been hit with unexpected charges, some totaling more than $55 per crossing, after what appears to be a system glitch.
SKIP TO: Commuters sound off about phony charges
NYSBA Commuter Plan
The backstory:
The commuter program allows frequent drivers to prepay for 20 trips at a discounted rate, a cost-saving option many rely on for daily commutes across the Hudson.
EZ-Pass
The Bridge Authority, which operates the Bear Mountain, Newburgh-Beacon, Mid-Hudson, Kingston-Rhinecliff and Rip Van Winkle bridges, acknowledged the issue on Facebook, saying, “We are working with E-ZPass NY to resolve this as quickly as possible.”
One commuter said they were repeatedly charged despite filing a dispute, adding that more than $300 in fees have piled up. They said they called customer service twice, opened a ticket, and even removed their payment, calling the situation “ridiculous.”
Another customer wrote that they were charged three times within four days and “opened a case but haven’t gotten an acknowledgement or correspondence of any kind.”
‘It kind of hurts’ 
Local perspective:
FOX 5 NY’s Richard Giacovas spoke with one commuter who explained how the glitch has impacted him.
Jared Galino, known to listeners as Skywalker on K104, lives in Newburgh and crosses the Newburgh-Beacon Bridge nearly every day for his radio job in Beacon.
Galino said he normally pays $1.40 per trip with his E-ZPass commuter plan, but over the weekend he was charged $55 per crossing three days in a row.
“Friday, I got a text alert saying I got a charge for $55 from E-ZPass. Didn’t think much of it because it could have been a replenishment fee,” Galino told FOX 5 NY.
Customers still waiting for refund 
“Then on Saturday, I got an alert that I got a $55 charge. And then on Sunday, I got an alert that I got a $55 charge.” He said the unexpected tolls have put a real dent in his finances. “It’s a paycheck-to-paycheck world, so to be out $150, $160 kind of hurts,” he said.
The Bridge Authority told FOX 5 NY that an outside vendor was responsible for the erroneous billing, saying in a statement, “The New York State Bridge Authority was recently made aware of erroneous billings related to the NYSBA Commuter Plan made by our outside vendor. We are working closely with our service provider, the E-ZPass New York Customer Service Center, to correct the issue.”
Galino said he makes at least 25 trips a month and is still waiting for a $165 refund.
What’s next:
The Authority hasn’t said how many drivers were affected or when the problem began, but comments online show dozens of commuters reporting similar issues, some with hundreds of dollars in unexpected charges.
The Bridge Authority said it will share updates as the issue is resolved.
The Source: This report is based on information from New York State Bridge Authority.