As rental car drivers in north Texas have been skipping out on tolls they owe after passing through unmanned, electronic toll booths, at least one rental agency in the state is working to make it easier for drivers to pay tolls in advance, according to the Dallas Morning News.
A proposed fix that has been held up by glitches is a unique data-sharing system that frees the rental agencies from having to pay. Enterprise, one of the region’s largest rental companies, racked up most of the unpaid tolls—$284,000. The company supports the new collection plan.
The area’s tollway authority, using a database that links it to Enterprise, Alamo and National rental outlets, says it will soon be able to find more drivers who haven’t paid. Under the new system, the North Texas Tollway Authority (NTTA) contacts the drivers directly, giving them a chance to pay. If they fail to do so, the state can begin with a $25 late penalty and eventually take them to court.
Enterprise spokesman Ned Maniscalco says Enterprise has amassed millions of dollars in fines nationally, and the partnership with NTTA will serve as a model. Maniscalco is quoted in the Dallas Morning News article as saying Enterprise’s policy is to make the driver responsible for paying the fine directly to the toll authority.
