The state tried to downplay this problem too. But its a really big one.
TAMPA BAY, Fla. - The Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) claims its toll backlog has been cleared, but it appears many drivers won't receive SunPass tolling bills for their summer driving until at least October.
►TIMELINE: How 10Investigates uncovered the SunPass mess
10Investigates has been pressing FDOT since July for more information on SunPass' inability to link Toll-By-Plate transactions and lane violation bills to vehicle owners.
This week, the agency admitted for the first time its Toll-By-Plate (TBP) invoices will not be ready to go out until "early October," meaning tens -- if not hundreds -- of thousands of additional drivers will be hit with unexpected bills long after they actually incurred the tolls.
The admission reveals another example of the state downplaying a major problem; multiple times since July, an FDOT spokesperson told 10Investigates TBP transactions were being posted and vehicle owners were being identified. The only reason he gave for invoices not going out was FDOT's "quality assurance processes."
According to the Florida Turnpike Enterprise's annual report, TBP transactions make up 10% of Sunpass' annual transactions. That would put the number of backlogged TBP transactions at approximately 35 million since June 1, with tens of millions more in unsent violations.
Experts tell 10Investigates the longer a bill takes to arrive at a driver's home, the less likely the state is to collect on the bill. That means the delays could risk tens of millions of dollars in FDOT revenue.
Furthermore, tourists who rent cars in Florida could be left with a nasty souvenir if they receive big toll bills from their rental car companies half a year after returning from the Sunshine State.
UPDATE: After publishing the story, 10News has learned the state is now working on notice to Toll-By-Plate users explaining the large October bills. An FDOT spokesperson says late fees and penalties will be waived, likely into February 2019, so customers can have extra time to pay off their bill.
Here is a running report card of other SunPass problems 10Investigates has been tracking:
Transparency
Issue: Downplaying of problems; deceptive press releases; slow response to questions & records requests.
Concern: Floridians had no idea how bad the SunPass failures were until 10Investigates broke the news on June 19 that the state was unable to process tens of millions of toll transactions. It was another week before the state even acknowledged problems, and it continued to try and downplay the severity of the system disruption. No public notice was given when dozens of drivers’ personal data was accidentally compromised in July.
Response: In the two months since 10Investigates' first report on the failures, FDOT has not gotten much more forthcoming with information. The agency refuses to acknowledge interview requests and has even sent simple records via U.S. mail, seemingly to try and delay their release. They have sent deceiving press releases out to try and control the media's messaging. And the public still has no explanation -- outside of 10Investigates' reporting -- of how 6 million customers were inconvenienced so badly. For the first time Tuesday, the agency provided a number of documents and answers that were requested by 10Investigates, some more than a month earlier.
Report Card: Failing
IT problems
Issue: The technology meltdown limited access to SunPass accounts, the SunPass website frequently crashes and billing was delayed by weeks and months.
Concern: Customers couldn't access receipts to get work reimbursements, got hit with large and unpredictable charges when tolls finally were processed, and the delays mean account errors are very difficult to spot and correct.
Response: FDOT, its partners, and its vendors have been working around-the-clock to fix the computer issues, and they have announced there will be no fines or penalties on customers during the ongoing disruption. The toll backlog was finally cleared last week for many SunPass users, but EPass and Toll-By-Plate customers are still seeing long delays in billing. The state has rolled out its plan to reimburse customers for bank overdraft fees. But account errors -- of which there are multiple indications there are plenty -- are the responsibility of the customer to identify and report before refunds are issued.
Report Card: Improvement noted, with significantly more needed
Customer service
Issue: Frustrated customers unable to get problems fixed
Concern: Some customers have to wait more than two hours to speak to representatives, and SunPass' promise to respond to emails within two days are going unfulfilled.
Response: An FDOT spokesperson says extra staff members have been dedicated to customer service but has been unable to provide specifics over the course of the last two-plus months. In July, an agency spokesperson touted website improvements and Conduent's reduction of call center wait times. But, in August, the website continued to crash and call center wait times exploded as more drivers discovered unexpected and some inexplicable charges on their accounts.
Report Card: Incomplete
Accountability
Issue: Contractors and FDOT all had a role in system failures; state not in a rush to sort it out.
Concern: Are contractors incentivized to get problems fixed fast? Will individuals who made big mistakes be disciplined? Will the state learn from mistakes to prevent it from happening again?
Response: Last week’s announcement that Florida's inspector general would investigate came only after 75 days and four 10Investigates interviews with Gov. Scott. No scope has been announced for the investigation, but the governor's office said it would likely be "broad." Payments were halted to Conduent in late June, but 10Investigates revealed the company is still getting paid on other contracts. The state announced an $800,000 fine to Conduent, and it said the company will pay for customers' overdraft reimbursements as well. However, no fines or penalties have been mentioned for corporation Atkins, the general contractor responsible for oversight on the project, or HNTB, the corporation that oversaw the awarding of the contract to embattled Conduent in the first place.
Report Card: Incomplete
Toll-By-Plate
Issue: Customers who use toll-by-plate or other mail billing have not received bills yet.
Concern: It appears the state has been unable to match all of the transactions to vehicle owners, delaying the posting of charges. Viewers are also reporting errors in plate identification, landing other drivers' tolls on their accounts.
Response: An FDOT spokesperson has been saying for months all transactions will eventually be billed to customers "once quality assurance processes are completed." The state finally said this week invoices likely won't go out until October.
Report Card: Failing
►Want to view an interactive timeline of the SunPass maintenance woes? Click or tap here.
►Send your SunPass issues and other story tips confidentially to 10Investigates' Noah Pransky on Facebook or email him at npransky@wtsp.com
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