Free E-ZPass Tags for NJ

New Jersey's highway agencies may soon get 209,000 free E-ZPass transponders from the company that makes them.

That's because many of the devices have not lasted as long as expected.

The state would get the equipment under a tentative settlement that was reached recently between Mark Four Industries of Ontario and the E-ZPass Interagency Group. That's a consortium of 14 highway agencies, including those in New Jersey.

The deal calls for the company to provide the interagency group with up to 900,000 free tags worth more than $20 million. But it doesn't address whether there have been any extensive defects in the equipment.

State officials won't comment on the deal because it hasn't been formally approved.

But they've said the transponders' nonreplaceable batteries were likely to run down before their five-year warranty expires.

Author: NBC10/AP