State: MTA Has Failed To Collect Nearly Half Of Fines It's Owed
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork/AP) -- New York state auditors said Thursday that the Metropolitan Transportation Authority is letting nearly half of the fines it is owed fall by the wayside.
As WCBS 880's Stephanie Colombini reported, the audit from the state Comptroller's office covered two-and-a-half years says the MTA's New York City Transit Division. It said during that time, the MTA collected $17 million in fines when it should have collected more than $30 million.
One of the auditors, Robert Mehrhoff, said part of the problem is that the summonses used to contact violators often have the wrong phone numbers and addresses. The Transit Adjudication Bureau's ability to collect fines and late-payment fees depends on reaching violators by phone and mail.
"And if the information on the summons is wrong, it makes it very difficult to track down the recipient," Mehrhoff said.
An MTA spokesman said the agency began using a computer system after the audit was conducted, and that should improve collections.
State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli said with subway trains crammed with passengers and delays increasing, the transit system needs every dollar.
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