TRAVELERS could see a refund automatically issued to their account as part of a $450 million benefits package for frequent toll road users.
The program is running for the second year in a row and runs until the beginning of next year.
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis brought back the state’s Toll Relief Program to reward commuters with SunPass or other state transponders who frequently use toll roads.
The Sunshine State is allocating $450 million in funding to reward commuters in hopes of easing the financial burden of commuting.
“This is a way for us to provide relief to people as we are in this inflationary period,” DeSantis said, as quoted by the FOX affiliate. TVTV.
“You have groceries and all this other stuff.”
Last year, the program saved 1.2 million drivers a total of $500 million in toll fees.
Each driver saved about $400 a year thanks to the program.
“Every little bit helps,” said one driver on camera.
Patty Shay, who told the outlet she crosses a toll road an average of four to five times a day, said she would be excited to see a discount come her way.
“I would be more than happy to get a reduction in tolls,” she said.
For Shay, it wasn’t just the tolls that made commuting expensive.
“O gas add up,” she said.
“The tolls add up. I can’t even tell you how much I spend on tolls in a month. It’s a lot.”
So drivers like Shay, who cross a toll road more than 35 times a month, can expect a discount in May.
The program starts this week and runs until March 2025.
Last year, when the program was announced, users had mixed feelings about the parameters for drivers to meet the discount.
“So, someone who drives through 34 toll booths a month will purposely pass through a toll booth to get the discount,” a TV viewer the announcement he wrote.
Another viewer was grateful for the relief, even if it was small.
“Every little bit helps in today’s economy,” they wrote.
“Thank you, Governor DeSantis!”
Other drivers, however, disagreed with the tolls.
“You know what, they need to remove the tolls and just make the roads straight,” one viewer wrote.
Someone made light of the situation with some indirect humor.
“Next, they’re going to make us pay to go to the parks,” they said.
This story originally appeared on The-sun.com read the full story