Why doesn't the state just waive SunPass tolls?

ORLANDO, Fla. — First there was a nine-week system meltdown. Then there were bulk charges.

Now, some SunPass toll transactions on Florida's Turnpike have the wrong dates and times.

For weeks, people have asked why the state doesn't just waive the tolls.

Channel 9's Cierra Putman spent Thursday asking everyone from the governor's office to legislators about who would have the authority to do so.

They told her no one can snap their fingers and make that happen, because Florida law doesn't allow it.

At the SunPass customer service center in Ocoee, Channel 9 found a couple happy with Florida's Turnpike Enterprise despite the system upgrade in June that resulted in thousands of backlogged tolls.

SunPass customer Allan Stoltz, of Clermont, said he still trusts the agency.

But other customers do not.

That system upgrade by contractor Conduent shut down SunPass for weeks.

Earlier this week, the Central Florida Expressway Authority told E-PASS customers that SunPass had 2.1 million transactions with wrong dates and times.

That makes it hard for customers to know if they were properly billed.

"I'm confident that these are wrong," SunPass customer Susan Hannah said Tuesday. "Yes. Absolutely."

The state emailed Channel 9 a statement, saying only E-PASS customers have seen transactions with incorrect time stamps, and "there were no errors in the transactions themselves or the toll amounts."

Florida Gov. Rick Scott's office and U.S. Rep. Bob Cortes said by phone that state statute only allows some small exemptions, including suspending tolls "when necessary to assist in emergency evacuation."

Theoretically, state lawmakers could change that statute.

But Cortes said the toll money is linked to bonds, and such a move would put the state's budget at risk.

The only consolations customers have are in the investigation the state's chief inspector general is conducting and the $800,000 fine the contractor had to pay.

The Central Florida Expressway Authority sent another email to customers Thursday asking them to review their SunPass charges.

The agency said it is working with SunPass to fix the issue. It said customers may file a dispute online should something seem wrong.

Cox Media Group