PEMBROKE PARK, Fla. – Florida is no longer paying the contractor hired to maintain the SunPass toll-collection system until it is fully operational.
The Florida Department of Transportation announced Monday it is withholding all future payments to Maryland-based Conduent State & Local Solutions as work continues on the SunPass system, which was supposed to be completed last month.
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FDOT Secretary Mike Dew called the delays "completely unacceptable" and said he is "committed to holding those responsible accountable."
The contract with Conduent "includes a number of robust provisions related to performance and failure to meet obligations," FDOT spokesman Ed Seifert said in a news release.
It is anticipated that up to 8 million backlogged charges will be posted on a daily, recurring basis until the system is adequately restored.
Seifert said late fees and penalties won't be imposed on customers until the system is fully operation.
"The department anticipates and expects that Conduent will continue to improve the operations of the SunPass call center, the website interface, the functionality of the mobile application interface and the availability and reliability of SunPass Plus, so that SunPass customers are provided the premium level of service they are entitled to expect," Dew wrote in a letter to Conduent President David Amoriell.