Senate Passes Bill To Eliminate E-ZPass Surcharge

The New York state senate on Monday passed legislation, cosponsored by Senator Serphin R. Maltese (R-Glendale), that would prohibit agencies that administer E-ZPass in New York state from charging monthly surcharges.

The bill (S.6331) is a response to complaints from New York City and Long Island motorists about an unwarranted $1 administrative service charge being tacked on to their E-ZPass account bills each month.

Three different agencies authorize E-ZPass within the state, the New York State Thruway Authority, the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey and the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA). The Port Authority and the MTAcharge the $1 fee, the Thruway does not.

"I am sure the many constituents who have contacted my office to complain about the $1 administrative service charge that the MTA and the Port Authority are adding on to their customers' E-ZPass accounts each month will be very happy to hear that this bill is moving forward in the Senate," Maltese said. "It is ludicrous to nickel-and-dime consumers to death with this type of fee--which many may not even notice unless they thoroughly scrutinize their itemized monthly statement."

According to the MTA Web site, the $1 monthly account service fee was instituted last summer to "help defray the administrative costs of managing our customers' E-ZPass accounts." The MTA estimates that the monthly surcharge generates $13.2 million annually. The MTA recently announced that it had a budget surplus of over $1 billion.

The bill was sent to the Assembly.