Firm gets tollway job despite flak

The Illinois State Toll Highway Authority approved a $120,000 contract Thursday with Electronic Transaction Consultants to assist with reciprocal collections involving other toll systems across the country. The company will be responsible for maintaining reciprocity software and hardware for E-ZPass, an electronic toll collecting system used in Illinois and other states including Indiana and Massachusetts. Reciprocity allows states to recoup tolls from out-of-state drivers. Electronic Transaction Consultants is in the second year of a contract to operate the I-PASS and violation systems at the tollway. But it developed a 13-month backlog of violation notices between 2006 and 2007. As a result, many violators' fines accumulated dramatically. The situation stems from transition problems between Electronic Transaction Consultants and the previous contractor. Tollway officials said recently they are withholding payments from Electronic Transaction Consultants because of the mix-up.