What could happen if the E-ZPass Toll System failed?
What would happen if the E-ZPass toll electronic collection failed? It may not be the first question on your mind when it comes to truck driving, but there’s always a possibility it can happen. In a 3 year state audit of the Maryland Transportation Authority system, it was revealed that the Maryland Transportation Authority system has an inadequate plan for recovering the E-ZPass toll collection system if a disaster such as a system failure occurred.
Major road infrastructures such as the Chesapeake Bay Bridge rely on the E-ZPass toll for every day toll transportation needs. The plan the Maryland Transportation Authority had in place since January 2010 is not effective for a system failure because the organization does not have the adequate purchasing controls to handle a system failure. Only 60 employees of the Maryland Transportation Authority have the authority and training to approve purchasing transactions and document the receipts of E-ZPass toll collections.
Although the current initiators of the transactions had no citing of improper transactions, there’s concern that purchases could be completed while not being instantly detected.
The Maryland Transportation Authority has collected over $389 million in tolls for the year 2012. Out of that $389 million dollars, $249 million dollars was collected from the E-ZPass toll collection. If the E-ZPass toll lost network connectivity at any time, there’s needs to be an effective communication strategy set in place in the case of an emergency. The plan should include technical issue resolutions and regular testing of the E-ZPass toll.
If you find yourself going through turnpikes/ tunnels, or over bridges and toll roads with deliveries, the E-ZPass can help you save money on your transportation costs because it costs more to pay in cash than to use the electronic payment system. It’s easy to apple for an E-ZPass account and you will receive a transponder device to place in your truck.
The cost of your tolls will vary on your driving distance and your vehicle type. If you are driving a tractor-trailer, it will cost more than driving a commuter car.
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Source:
http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/maryland/bs-md-mdta-audit-20140402,0,1679800.story
http://www.pennlive.com/midstate/index.ssf/2010/07/as_pennsylvania_turnpike_fees.html