This can’t happen soon enough. The Senate has delayed its discussion of the Sakonnet River Bridge toll which as it stands now is a public relations disaster for our tourism industry. According to the Providence Journal,
Greg Pare, spokesman for Senate Present M. Teresa Paiva Weed, said the bill has been rescheduled for the Senate session on May 14.
“It’s to give time for the Senate, the House and the governor’s office to work together on language,” Pare said.
If nothing else, we have to eliminate collection of the 10¢ toll currently in place. There are no toll booths; there is no way to pay the toll on the bridge. EZPass transponders send a bill to the license plate owner — sounds like a real money-maker for the state. But the larger problem is for out-of-town tourists in rental cars who end up months later — now back home reminiscing about their great trip to Little Rhody — with a charge on their credit card bill from the car rental company charging them exorbitant administrative fees for paying the unpaid toll; a toll most people didn’t even know was being “collected.” (We wrote this up last January as victims started getting these bills and complaining.) What fantastic publicity for the state!
The Providence Journal wrote up one couple in England, and Channel 12 consumer affairs reporter Susan Hogan helped out another young woman who was in the same position (college students returning home often rent cars as well). So, while the state wastes god-knows-how-much money processing these 10¢ invoices, the rental car companies are cashing in. Perfect.