TxTag billing, customer service to move under Harris County Toll Road Authority

AUSTIN (KXAN) – The Texas Transportation Commission authorized an agreement between the Texas Department of Transportation and the Harris County Toll Road Authority to move all TxTag toll processing, billing and customer service over to HCTRA, according to a unanimous vote Thursday morning.

TxDOT has promoted the “toll services agreement” and for HCTRA to take over handling of the TxTag system – saying the move will improve customer experiences and make operations more efficient and cost effective, according to Commission presentation materials.

TxDOT has been trying for years to shore up its TxTag billing and customer service system. Executive Director Marc Williams openly acknowledged that challenge at the meeting.

“You all are very familiar with some of the struggles that we've had in the in the back-office operations of our toll system,” Williams said. “This has been an area that has been a major point of focus for our team over the past several years, and as we looked at different options to upgrade and improve that operation.”

The best way forward was to solicit toll operators in the state, Williams said.

“The Harris County toll road authority, we felt like they gave us the best overall proposal for how we could move forward in partnership in this area,” he said.

After the merger, the cost to process a toll transaction will “effectively be cut in half from about 30 cents per transaction to closer to 15 or 16 cents per transaction,” Williams said. Over many years, the savings should approach $100 million for the state, he added.

Transportation Commission Chairman Bruce Bugg said he’s known about TxTag service issues for years. Nearly a decade ago, when he began on the Commission, former Texas House Speaker Joe Straus brought up TxTag problems to him.

“It goes all the way back to 2015, and we've been trying to find the right way to resolve it,” Bugg said.

Gov. Greg Abbott told Bugg he wants TxDOT to adopt a “customer service attitude,” and the move to HCTRA “hits both those milestones,” Bugg said.

The move to HCTRA will end TxDOT’s contract with TTEC Government Solutions, according to the agency. TxDOT first contracted with the company Faneuil in 2019. TTEC later bought that company and took over the contract. TxDOT has paid those companies over $230 million since 2019, according to payment records obtained by KXAN through the Texas Public Information Act.

The transition to HCTRA has been forecast for months, with TxDOT putting out a notice in September explaining the potential transition. The agency also sent messages last month urging customers to bring their accounts into good standing and update payment information by Oct. 15.

Transition process

TxTag accounts that are in good standing and used in the last 12 months will be transferred to HCTRA, while accounts that are not in good standing or not used in the past 12 months will not be transferred. Accounts that are inactive will be closed and the money will be refunded, according to the agency.

TxDOT is asking customers to log into their accounts by Nov. 1, 2024, to "confirm that your address, vehicle information, and any credit cards on your account are up to date. You must be enrolled in AutoPay for your credit card to remain on your account after the transition. Please update any expiring credit cards by Nov. 1, 2024," according to guidance online.

TxDOT said a customer could face additional escalation actions if they have an unpaid balance at the time the accounts are transferred.

HCTRA will take over all the major aspects of TxTag operations, including management of customer accounts, customer service, transaction processing, maintaining customer service facilities, and video transaction processing and enforcement.

Lead up to change

TxTag billing issues have dogged TxDOT for years.

A 2023 KXAN investigation, driven by viewer tips and concerns, uncovered hundreds of complaints, auto-billing problems and incorrect statements.

KXAN’s investigation found that TTEC has been penalized over $3 million for falling short of contractual obligations. A TxDOT spokesperson said the TTEC contract can run through February.