NJ Turnpike contract for e-zpass awash in disputes

5-minute reading

Controversial is a controversial process of a bet on a company selected for Turnpike transactions processing 60 million E-ZPAS transactions every year.
Transcore won a contract, even if his rate was $ 250 million more than Conduent’s.

China, transparency, bidding, preservative, transcord is repeated fashionistas around a favorable and contradictory contract for $ 1.7 billion for the operation of the E-Zpass New Jersey Turnepik.

Controversial is a controversial process of a bet on a company selected for Turnpike transactions 60 million transactions E-ZPASS every year at New Jersey Turnepike and a garden state park, as well as on roads that controlled six other agencies throughout the country.

It is one of the largest contracts concluded in the history of Turnpike, and provides for the best hiring of the company that is best equipped for the management of the E-Zpass program, customer service, payments for fees and other administrative services, including providing private data and information.

The story continues below the photo gallery.

In September, in September, a Neshville contract was awarded with small fanfers, but everything quickly became controversial.

Conduent, a competitor based in Newark, which has controlled the New Jersey E-Zapss program for 22 years, officially protested against the award in October. In his letter, Conduent’s lawyer found that a cross -to -Corus application is $ 250 million more than Conduent’s.

Paul Josefson, a Conduent lawyer, also questioned the interconnections of the crosses with a foreign company and accused the power of turning the transparency that conducts transparent to ensure “favorable behavior” to the crosscol.

Josephon also questioned that Transcor, represented by the lawyers of Chiesa Shahinian & Giantomasi PC, which serves as an external defender of Turnpike’s authority and has done it for at least a decade.

Transcore Whitt Hall CEO defended the 30-year reputation of the company in electronic payments, beat the accusations of ownership and sent letters to suppress the concerns by lawmakers calling for state and federal authorities.

“It is disappointing, though it is not surprising that Conduent is focused on public fear, not improving the quality of its products and services,” Hall said in a statement.

In January, the Turnpike bodies conducted a hearing in order to resolve the dispute. It was not open to the public, and the determination has not yet been accepted.

The following is a guide to what happened, who participates and how this fight is a spiral.

How did we get here?

In November 2023, in November 2023, in November 2023, in November 2023, the New Jersey State Organization requesting proposals for control and management of the E-Zpass program.

Transcore, which has offices in the Union, received the largest contract, a $ 1.73 billion agreement to administer the e-Zpass program for 11 years; This can be extended once every two years if Turnpike’s authority decides to do it.

The transcore final proposal was about $ 251 million more than the Condent’s final offer of $ 1.47 billion. The third WSP contractor came with approximately $ 216,000 more than the final Transcore negotiation price.

Although Transcore’s price was higher than that of the Convention, Transcore has twice scored the highest total overall sheet with seven category assessment used by Turnpike’s authority to rank bidders. Conduent gained the lowest after the best and final proposals were submitted.

Price, approach to customer service operations and implementation were weighed by 20% on a sheet of points, with the other four categories weighing 10%.

The Bidding Committee “consistently found technical and prompt possibilities for the provision of services … Outperforms the air conditioner and WPP,” the authors of the report sent in the report sent to James Karone, the executive director of the Turpik body, wrote.

Other details were not provided about why the Cross was chosen, despite the more price.

Another company, Evanis, received a contract of $ 76 million to provide license plates, even if its final price, which was negotiated, was higher than the only other bidder, which was also a counterpart. Conduent does not protest this rate, even if its price was lower by $ 5.3 million.

According to the law, state institutions and authorities should choose the “lowest, responsible bidder”, but there are exceptions when it comes to experience, moral integrity, working capacity, financial capacity, credit and availability of labor, equipment and equipment. Whatever the reason, it should be justified.

Asked why the Turnpike authorities did not publish the public that he was going with the highest bidders and why, spokesman Thomas Fini, said it would be “inappropriate” to comment before the decision to protest on the rate.

What is Transcore?

Transcore is an 85-year-old company that provides paid and traffic management services across the country, including for overload pricing.

In 2022, Singaporea was acquired by Transcore. Another company, Temasek, is the majority of the STE owner. One of Temasek’s board members was Fu Chengy, Chinese national in the oil industry, who previously held the position of Secretary of the Communist Party of China. In November 2024, Chengya departed from Temasek’s reign.

Hall, the President of the Transcora, has repeatedly stated that there was no connection between the Transcor, or its parent company, Saint -engineers and the Chinese Communist Party.

Transcor has concluded a national security agreement after strict viewing and approval by the Ministry of Treasury Committee on Foreign Investments to assure that no protected data collected by transcor paid systems that are not available for foreign organizations, Hall wrote in a letter to the American ROP. Josh Gottimer on February 11th.

Hall added: “The supervision of the federal government and regular audits ensure strict compliance with the” Transcor Agreement, hundred and their branches.

Connecting an employee with Turnpike official

Transcore recently occupied Diana Guterres-Sakchetti’s daughter, the former chairman of the Board of Popaik and Commissioner on Transport. Guterres-Sakchetti’s daughter worked at the Transcora until April 2023, according to LinkedIn, but was not employed by the company during this trading process, Transcor said.

Transcor stated that Gutiersres-Sakchetti, who owned a home in Tennessee since 2021, has not been working with the company as an employee or consultant.

Gutierrez-scacCetti Left his role as a traffic commissioner In February 2024. Chief of Staff After submission both roles for four months. She Pension in JulyHaving completed for almost three decades, a career in New Jersey, including 21 years in Turnpike’s authority and then six years as his reign.

On July 25, 2022, Gutiereres-Sakchetti sent a letter to Ternpike’s board to eliminate himself on “all issues concerning the crosscord” and she did not attend a meeting in September 2022, when Transcore was concluded a separate contract associated with E-ZPASS.

Does foreign property matter?

Several legislators were concerned about whether motorists, payment information and other transcor information are protected from cyberattacks and foreign opponents.

Senator of the state of Joseph Pennako, Morris, asked the State Department: “To make sure we should feel comfortable with these people who come to this country, tracking us knowing where we are, tracking trucks carrying dangerous materials.”

Meanwhile, the capacitor listed in its latest submission of the 10-k form to the Securities and Exchanges Commission, which has undergone “certain interruptions” due to outdated technology and “susceptible to violation of security systems, which can lead to unauthorized access to … information we and our clients are trying to protect.”

In January, Conduent confirmed that “cybersecurity incident” Public payments in four states, several media reports report.

For Josephson, a conduct lawyer, a greater concern for a foreign property of the transcorus is that it was not properly disclosed by Turnpike. He accused the crosscor of submitting documents containing inaccuracies and incomplete information.

Companies that win contracts with state agencies are obliged to provide forms of disclosure of information that show property structures for those who have 10% or higher, – said Mark Pfeiffer, senior researcher and researcher at the University of Rutgers of the Center for Urban Policy Research.

When these forms are not properly filled, “it is considered a fatal disadvantage in the rate,” Pfiffer said.

What is Conduent?

Conduent, a break from Xerox, conducted an E-Zpass Turnpike Authority since its creation in 1999. But, but Conduent faced criticism New Jersey drivers for poor customer service, outdated technologies and errors, including 79,000 clients who receive incorrect fees and incorrectly charged $ 5020 administrative fees in 2020.

In 2015 the outline was The $ 600 million contract was handed To deploy a cashless cash system against the background of a contradictory procurement process. Two companies that were considered more qualified and lower prices protested this award. At that time, Gutiersres-Sakchitti controlled the Florida rotation management.

Conduent was fined $ 8 million for deployment and his The contract has not been renewed.

Transcore promotes itself as a company that has “repeatedly demonstrated that it could easily move system contour system offices for customers looking for better service,” Hall said. However Maryland’s drivers complained About the e-ZPass Transcore services in 2021, when there was a long time and not enough customer service agents.

Is Transcorn New in Turnpike’s authority?

Transcore and Conduent competed for the same contracts for at least a decade.

When in 2015, proposals for the current Conduent with the Turnpike body were considered, Transcore became more recommended, but Conduent had a lower price and already proved that it could cope with the E-ZPAS program through previous work with the Turnpike body, the Board documents report.

Currently, Conduent works with the E-Zpass Turnpike Authority on an eight-year contract, which began on February 1, 2017, for $ 325.6 million. The Turnpike body must decide by April if it extends this agreement for two years.

Despite the fact that for two decades it has been the best contractor of the Turnpike management, Conduent lost valuable contracts for New Jersey in recent years.

In addition to the loss of two contracts in September, the application of the conduction to help the transfer of the body to the world system of paid payments was thrown in September 2022, according to the documents of the board. No explanations were provided, and Feini, a spokesman for authority, did not explain why the question.

Instead, Transcore was concluded a $ 159 million contract from South Jersey Ternpike to move to the Atlantic City’s high-speed road for an all-electronic fee and a separate contract for $ 914 million with TlonPike and GACENPEKE.

Will the investigation be?

Pennako called on New Jersey to investigate Transcore’s E-ZPass contract for $ 1.7 billion and “see that if anything was done unnecessary or, of course, to make sure we just don’t do it.”

When asked if they respond to this call, Pamela Kruger, the Secretary of the Office of the Controller, said that the office did not confirm or deny the existence of the investigation.

“If everything is up and up, then well, but at least we had another pair of eyes that looks at it,” Pennako said.