| September 18, 2008 Mass. Turnpike to cut 100 toll collectors
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(Danica Pecirep, NECN: Worcester, MA) - The friendly faces that greet us at the tolls on the mass pike are being phased out. Thursday the turnpike authority board announced that one hundred toll takers will be laid off over the next year to save the state money and speed up the commute.
Former Mass Turnpike Board member Jordan Levy says the agency is under so much debt - that changes are a must. The annual debt estimate is between 70 and 100 million dollars. Cutting toll takers will save 10 million dollars a year.
Turnpike executive director Alan Lebovidge says the layoffs are the first step.
The next move is making the pike fully automated.
“The more people that switch to transponders and use fast lanes, the less toll takers we need and the more money we save.”
Lebovidge says more transponders means faster traffic flow.
The union that represents the toll takers- understands the agency is in debt- but feels there are other areas they can look to cut costs.
A union spokesman says..."they've told me several times they plan on having work reductions, but I didn't know they were going to be doing it like this. They should cut some of the real fat first"
Levy Agress there are many ways the authority can try to save money- but says balancing the budget means big cuts.
You cannot go back to the people who pay everyday until you do your job and make the cuts that are necessary to show that you are a operating a fiscally
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