The $15 AutoExpreso fine went back into effect Monday, and drivers who tried to check their balances were met with an error message on the toll system’s website and app, El Nuevo Día reported. A Transportation Department official said drivers have five days to reload an account before a fine applies.
“If you go through today without a balance, you have five days, or 120 hours, to reload your account and no fine is applied,” Marco García, the department’s associate secretary, told WAPA TV, as quoted by El Nuevo Día.
Login errors
Users who entered their credentials on the website or the app saw a message reading “A problem has occurred. Please try again later,” El Nuevo Día reported. García said the system is operational and that heavy volume is normal on the first day. “It’s typical in these processes, but the system is operational,” he said.
How the fine works
After the five days, a $15 fine applies for each toll that could not be charged, Primera Hora reported. The Highways and Transportation Authority (ACT) announced Sept. 30 that enforcement would restart Oct. 19 under the fiscal plan certified by the federal oversight board, WIPR reported. Transportation Secretary Edwin González Montalvo, who also runs the ACT, said in that announcement: “Our goal is for this transition to be orderly and for users to have the information and tools they need to manage their accounts.”
Fines were last imposed in mid-April 2022, when the system’s operator, Professional Account Management, suffered a cyberattack that disrupted operations, especially account reloads, according to Primera Hora. The agency estimates the fines will bring in about $30 million a year.
The bill to lower the fine
The House approved a bill Sept. 17 by Rep. José Hernández Concepción that would cut the fine from $15 to $10, Primera Hora reported. It awaits a Senate floor vote and would need the governor’s signature. At a House hearing, González said a change in the fine amount “would have a significant impact on revenue” and could put the ACT’s day-to-day operation at risk if it missed its revenue estimate, El Vocero reported.
Related coverage: AutoExpreso Fines Return Oct. 19 With a Five-Day Window to Reload
Free to join: Become a Community Member to post classifieds, submit events, and comment on stories.
Sources: El Nuevo Día, Primera Hora, WIPR, El Vocero.
Image: AI-generated illustration.
