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Truck driving companies file lawsuit against PA Turnpike Commission, PennDOT

HARRISBURG — Two nationwide truck driving companies are among those who have filed a lawsuit against the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission (PTC) and PennDO...
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HARRISBURG — Two nationwide truck driving companies are among those who have filed a lawsuit against the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission (PTC) and PennDOT.

The class-action suit, led by Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association (OOIDA) and the National Motorists Association, claims that the use of Pennsylvania Turnpike revenue toward projects unrelated to the turnpike itself is unconstitutional. OOIDA and the National Motorists Association also requested an injunction to halt the turnpike from overcharging customers — i.e. continuous toll increases — and to refund the money to turnpike users, according to a release.

One example of a PennDOT project that the lawsuit claimed used toll revenues from the turnpike was the “installation of approximately 1,800 feet of ADA-compliant sidewalk along the south side of Union Deposit Road between Shield Street and Powers Avenue at the Union Square Shopping Center in Susquehanna” in Dauphin County.

MORE: Lawsuit against PA Turnpike Commission, PennDOT

“The tolls charged far exceed the value of the use of turnpike and the costs to maintain it,” said Todd Spencer, acting president and CEO of OOIDA. “Truckers have especially overpaid the price at as much as 70 cents per mile.”

As of January 4, the PTC has made $5.875 billion in payments to PennDOT, the suit, filed in Harrisburg, says.

“Truckers and motorists are not ATMs to fund everything from under the sun,” Spencer added. “The ongoing, economic drain on unsuspecting turnpike users is the epitome of highway robbery.”

FOX43 reached out to the PA Turnpike but the commission said it could not comment on the matter because of pending litigation.

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