AutoExpreso fines restart today with $15 penalty and five-day grace period
The Autoridad de Carreteras y Transportación reactivated administrative fines suspended since a 2022 cyberattack, as required by the fiscal plan certified by the Oversight Board, while a legislative proposal seeks to lower the amount to $10.
PhotoThe short version
- El Vocero reported that starting Monday, Oct. 19, drivers face a $15 fine per unpaid toll after a five-day grace period to add funds to their AutoExpreso account
- Telemundo Puerto Rico and Metro Puerto Rico stated the reactivation follows modernization of infrastructure on PR-20, PR-52, PR-53 and PR-66 plus security and system upgrades
- Primera Hora and El Vocero noted the fines were suspended since mid-April 2022 after a cyberattack on operator Professional Account Management and are required by the fiscal plan to generate about $30 million yearly
- Metro Puerto Rico and Primera Hora reported PPD House spokesman Héctor Ferrer Santiago called the measure another blow to families' budgets amid rising costs for water, electricity and gasoline
Fines resume after four-year suspension
Drivers in Puerto Rico must check their AutoExpreso accounts as the Autoridad de Carreteras y Transportación (ACT) resumed imposing $15 administrative fines on Monday, Oct. 19, for each toll transited without sufficient balance. El Vocero reported that a five-day grace period allows users to add funds and avoid the penalty. The fines had been suspended since mid-April 2022 following a cyberattack on system operator Professional Account Management (PAM).
The Departamento de Transportación y Obras Públicas (DTOP) secretary and ACT executive director, Edwin González Montalvo, urged drivers to verify accounts, ensure vehicle tags are registered and maintain sufficient balance. Metro Puerto Rico reported he said the goal is an orderly transition and that users have the necessary tools. Telemundo Puerto Rico reported that users can check balances and recharge via the website, mobile app, over 370 payment points including pharmacies and gas stations, or through CESCO Digital.
Also on PuertoRico.com: Is Puerto Rico part of the US?
What the sources posted
Posts and statements below are the sources' own words, quoted as published. They are not independently verified.
A partir del lunes, 19 de octubre, se reactivará la imposición de las multas administrativas de AutoExpreso como parte del cumplimiento con los requisitos establecidos en el Plan Fiscal certificado de la ACT.
Our translation: Starting Monday, October 19, the imposition of AutoExpreso administrative fines will be reactivated as part of compliance with the requirements established in the ACT's certified Fiscal Plan.
The source's own statement, as quoted by Metro Puerto Rico. Not verified by PuertoRico.com.
Modernization and fiscal requirement
The reactivation follows a modernization process that replaced physical infrastructure at toll plazas on highways PR-20, PR-52, PR-53 and PR-66 and improved the operating system and security components, according to the ACT. Primera Hora reported that Edwin González stated in a July press release that significant investments were made during the suspension period to strengthen the platform.
The ACT estimates the fines will generate approximately $30 million in annual revenue. El Vocero reported the measure is a requirement of the fiscal plan certified by the Junta de Supervisión Fiscal.
Legislative effort to reduce fine amount
A bill to reduce the fine from $15 to $10, introduced by Representative José Hernández Concepción, was approved by the House of Representatives on Sept. 17 and is pending in the Senate. El Vocero reported the Senate Transportation, Telecommunications, Public Services and Consumer Affairs Commission has approved the measure with amendments and it awaits scheduling for a floor vote. If passed, it would go to Governor Jenniffer González Colón for signature.
Until the legislation is enacted, the $15 penalty remains in effect after the five-day grace period. Primera Hora reported that registration of accounts allows users to view balances, transactions and receive low-balance notifications without providing credit-card information.
Where the sources differ
All four sources agree that fines of $15 per unpaid toll resumed on Monday, Oct. 19, after a suspension since the 2022 cyberattack, include a five-day grace period, follow system modernization and are required by the fiscal plan certified by the Oversight Board to raise about $30 million yearly. El Vocero, Primera Hora and Metro Puerto Rico mention the pending legislation to reduce the fine to $10 that has passed the House and awaits a Senate vote. Metro Puerto Rico and Primera Hora quote PPD spokesman Héctor Ferrer Santiago criticizing the fines as an additional burden on families; Telemundo Puerto Rico focuses only on user guidance and does not mention the legislator or the revenue estimate.
What the reports do not say
The reports do not state how many drivers currently have insufficient balances, the exact number of fines issued on the first day, whether the five-day grace period begins on the date of the unpaid toll or notification, the current status of the Senate calendar for the reduction bill, or any specific enforcement mechanism such as license-plate imaging or mail delivery of notices.
Sources
Every link below was opened and checked when this story was published. Official means a government body, agency or the organization itself; Reporting means a news outlet.
- Official Desde hoy regresan las multas de AutoExpreso
- Reporting Regresan las multas de AutoExpreso: cómo evitar el cargo de $15
- Reporting Regresan las multas de AutoExpreso
- Reporting Desde hoy regresan las multas de AutoExpreso
- Reporting Arranca hoy el cobro de multas del AutoExpreso
How we checked this
El Vocero, Telemundo Puerto Rico, Metro Puerto Rico and Primera Hora all reported the resumption of AutoExpreso fines on Oct. 19 and the five-day grace period. The $30 million revenue estimate and legislative details rest on El Vocero and Primera Hora, while criticism from Héctor Ferrer Santiago appears only in Metro Puerto Rico and Primera Hora.
Compiled by the PuertoRico.com News Desk from the reports and statements listed above, and checked against them before publishing. It does not include original interviews. Spot an error? Email support@puertorico.com with a link to this story.