China, transparency, bidding, Conduent, and TransCore are central themes in the ongoing debate over a $1.7 billion contract to manage the New Jersey Turnpike Authority’s E-ZPass program. The controversy stems from a contested bidding process for selecting the company responsible for handling 60 million E-ZPass transactions annually on the New Jersey Turnpike and Garden State Parkway, along with toll roads managed by six other state agencies.
This contract is one of the largest ever awarded by the Turnpike Authority. It encompasses hiring a company to oversee various aspects of the E-ZPass program, including customer service, toll payments, and administrative services like securing private motorist data.
Marc Pfeiffer, a senior policy fellow and faculty researcher at Rutgers University’s Center for Urban Policy Research, emphasized that companies winning contracts with state agencies must submit disclosure forms detailing ownership structures for those holding a 10% stake or more. "When these forms are not filled out properly," Pfeiffer noted, "that is considered to be a fatal flaw in the bid."
