Judge issues temporary pause on NY Thruway processing fees that hand 1% toll increase to truckers

A judge has issued a temporary restraining order pausing newly instated processing fees on the New York State Thruway that result in a 1% toll increase for truckers. 

According to Albany Times Union, the temporary order was issued last week after lawsuits were filed by the companies targeted by the fees. The new system, which began at the beginning of January, imposed fees on two private companies that manage toll bills on behalf of trucking companies traveling along the Thruway. One of these companies, BestPass Inc. alleges that the Thruway implemented these tolls through “closed-door meetings,” and say the upcharge is simply a toll increase for truckers “disguised as an administrative fee.”

“This new procedure, program, and toll policy includes a toll increase/tax designated as an administrative fee, restrictions on deactivating Bestpass customer accounts, and bond requirements on prepaid accounts with such changes applying only to BestPass,” the company alleges. PrePass, the other company that manages tolls for commercial vehicles on the Thruway, faces the same fees. The petition states that the Thruway has given “no rationale for their drastic, targeted, and unlawful actions,” which will seriously increase the cost of business for the companies and the trucking companies who employ them. 

The restraining order pauses the charges until late February. The Thruway Authority says that the fees would create an additional $7 million in revenue, which would be reinvested in the roadway. Thruway officials claim that the fee is aimed at the toll management companies working with trucking companies, not the commercial vehicles themselves. Because of this, the subsequent 1% rise in cost for truckers should not be considered a toll increase, and should not be reviewed as if it is one. 

The Thruway Authority is expected to file a response to the case by late February.