Two U.S. senators from states impacted by mismanaged electronic toll systems have urged the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to investigate the troubled vendor responsible for the problems.
In a letter sent today to FTC Chairman Joseph Simons, Senators Bill Nelson (D-FL) and Gary Peters (D-MI) pressed the agency to take action against Conduent State & Local Solutions (Conduent) for violating the Federal Trade Commission Act, which prohibits unfair and deceptive trade practices.
“Conduent’s pattern of mismanaging cashless toll systems is deeply troubling and warrants further scrutiny,” the senators wrote. “If drivers are being hurt financially, the FTC should hold the company accountable and prevent it from doing further harm.”
Conduent administers and manages electronic tolling systems in a number of states. In recent years, the company has come under scrutiny for its handling of electronic tolling systems in Florida, Michigan, California, Texas, New York, New Hampshire and Maryland. Specifically, the company has been accused of billing customers for inaccurate toll charges, late fees and penalties.
Earlier this month, the Florida Department of Transportation announced it would suspend contract payments for Conduent after the company botched a $287 million upgrade of the state’s SunPass toll system.
The Federal Trade Commission Act prohibits unfair practices that causes substantial harm to consumers that cannot be reasonably avoided and is not outweighed by any countervailing benefits to consumers or to competition.
Click here for a PDF of the senators’ letter.
