Local Legislation Takes Aim At E-ZPass Problems
BALTIMORE (WJZ) -- There is a new bill making its way through Annapolis that may help those struggling with E-ZPass problems.
Maryland faces a major backlog—and this bill could alleviate some of the pain associated with big bills.
The Maryland House of Delegates voted Wednesday to pass a bill that would extend the timeframe to dispute E-ZPass charges from 120 days to a year.
Lawmakers hope this bill will help alleviate the backlog and long call wait times.
"This extra time for people to review the charges would be a very welcomed financial reprieve during these economic times," Caleb Jasso with the Job Opportunities Task Force said.
Part of the problems associated with the E-ZPasses stem from the pandemic.
In the Spring of 2020, the MDTA made the switch to all-electronic tolling in an effort to protect toll collectors and drivers against COVID-19.
Similar to the deferment of rent, mortgage, and other financial relief programs, the MDTA decided to pause the processing of certain transactions and deferred mailing out bills for months.
"Dealing with E-ZPass right now has been pretty tough," EZ-Pass customer Katie Glemza said.
Glemza passes through the toll booths twice a day for work.
Glemza said the charges on her pass are taking an emotional toll. In fact, she is still getting charged for trips she took two years ago that have already been paid off, she said.
"I'm only paying $1.40 each way and then getting a ticket for $6 dollars or one later on for $52 saying that I didn't pay for it when I already did," Glemza said.
She said she has tried to fix her E-ZPass problems online but that approach hasn't worked for her and neither has calling a representative.
"They are trying to fix it, but at the end of the day I'm still throwing on tons and tons of the money that I've already paid for," Glemza said.
E-ZPass customer William Madrino said that he has to pay $1,000 in E-ZPass fees.
"The bottom line here is E-ZPass is supposed to be easy and Maryland is anything but lately," Delegate Linda Foley said.
Right now there is a petition online that has over 32,000 signatures. It calls on Gov. Larry Hogan to appoint a task force to investigate the issues with the E-ZPass.
The bill now heads to the Maryland State Senate for discussion.