LOUISVILLE, Ky. — An Indiana lawmaker says there could be legislative action taken if RiverLink doesn't find long-term fixes to problems exacerbated by its service provider switch last year, shedding light on what customers describe as shortcomings in customer service.
State Rep. Wendy Dant Chesser says she's been in touch with the Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT) to put pressure on the agency overseeing the three Ohio River toll bridges that thousands drive over every day.
"Nobody is comfortable with the situation the way it is," she said. "We are going to be more interested in figuring out a statewide solution if they cannot find the resolution on their own."
RiverLink switched to the Texas-based firm Electronic Transaction Consultants in Sept. 2023 to operate its toll system, and quickly felt the burden of invoicing being put on hold for several months prior to the transition -- later leading to an influx of bills for many customers.
As WHAS11 has reported, drivers have experienced hour-plus long waits on the helpline, subpar assistance from customer service representatives and in some cases incorrect charges or bills sent to the wrong drivers.
RiverLink has said it's reduced hold times from an average of nearly 30 minutes in January to as little as one to two minutes this summer. It's also invested more than $3 million in extra state dollars to add more customer service representatives.
Still, Dant Chesser tells WHAS11 that officials are looking at all options for a long-term solution, including legislative action if necessary.
"Legislative solutions could include penalizing the provider for not resolving the issues according to the metrics established," she said. "That's a realistic solution, but it doesn't necessarily help the people who are feeling the pain right now."
She continued, "I would imagine that both states are going to look for a comparable solution -- if it gets to that point -- that's what we'll try to do is work between Kentucky and Indiana. We're in this project together."
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