The Highways and Transportation Authority (ACT) announced that AutoExpreso fines for driving through toll booths without funds in the system will be reactivated in October, but no exact start date has been set. Juan Olmeda, press spokesperson for the Department of Transportation and Public Works (DTOP), said a meeting would be held Wednesday to discuss the details but could not confirm a date.
ACT said by press release that the period in which fines were forgiven would end in October. The $15 fines have not been collected since mid-April 2022, when operator Professional Account Management (PAM) suffered a cyberattack that compromised the system, especially recharges. DTOP Secretary Edwin González said in July that significant investments were made during the pause to modernize and strengthen the system, and that resuming the fines is a requirement of the Fiscal Plan certified by the Fiscal Oversight Board.
With the month about to begin, no public awareness campaign has started. Public Affairs Secretary Jean Peña Payano also could not say when fines will begin, urging the public to watch for DTOP's decision. On September 17, the House approved a bill by José Hernández Concepción to cut the fine from $15 to $10; it awaits Senate review and Governor Jenniffer González Colón's signature.
Fines apply when a driver passes a toll with insufficient balance, but are not immediate.