LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Drivers of Kentuckiana's toll bridges are starting to see some relief, albeit temporarily.
RiverLink tells WHAS11 it's not enforcing car registration holds for the time being, even if you have outstanding bills, during this 'transition period.'
In a statement, agency spokesperson Mindy Peterson said, "Registration holds have not been implemented yet by the new provider, and no date has been set yet to begin sending vehicle registration holds."
She continued, "No clerks have held any registrations because they haven’t been in the system. Clerks will be notified before holds resume."
The Jefferson County Clerk's Office echoed this current change in practice, telling WHAS11, "RiverLink is not doing holds right now, so drivers will not experience hang-ups due to outstanding RiverLink bills."
But drivers like Brandt McCool tell us this is all news to them, saying they weren't made aware on their invoices or online.
"They should have communicated through the media, through their website, through social media," Brandt McCool said.
WHAS11 checked back in with McCool, who we interviewed on Feb. 22 about an apparent mix-up. He claimed he was getting billed for a crossings he didn't make with a car that isn't his.
A toll dispute form he submitted early in the month went unanswered until after our story aired, when he suddenly saw his bills retracted and his outstanding balance at zero.
RiverLink said they resolved a 'misread.'
"Squeaky wheel does get the grease," McCool said.
We asked McCool for his thoughts on the pause put on registration holds, an enforcement tool RiverLink has used for years.
But the looming question: How long will it last?
"Are there holds coming in a week, a month, a year -- or are they not even going to be a thing?" McCool asked. "It's pretty shocking that they could just be so loosey goosey with something so critical to people who might have to commute for work."
RiverLink's website FAQ page, as of the morning of Feb. 26, appears not to have been updated -- still highlighting that customers who don't pay their tolls "may face restrictions on vehicle registration until tolls and fees are paid."
This all comes as the toll collecting agency works to improve customer service following its provider change. Drivers have cited frustration over influxes of delayed bills and long wait times on the helpline.
In another update, RiverLink said nearly 50 additional customer service representatives have been added in the past month. Peterson says call hold times 'continue to improve' from waits as long as one hour in January.
One of the big concerns WHAS11 has heard from RiverLink customers is the fear of not being able to renew their tags if they owe money -- even if they're in the midst of disputing bills they feel are incorrect.
It appears drivers won't have to worry about this, at least for now.
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