MTA TO BILL RESCUERS

 

MTA TO BILL RESCUERS

By By ERIK SHILLING and RICH CALDER

Posted: 3:49 am
September 23, 2008

The MTA took a step closer to approving a controversial plan to bill the city for police, firefighters and other emergency-service responders crossing bridges and tunnels.

The Metropolitan Transportation Authority's finance committee voted 3-2 to charge the city for the more than 11,000 E-ZPass tags used by first responders.

As expected, the mayor's two representatives on the committee opposed the measure.

"This is an underhanded attempt to increase the city's already large subsidy of the MTA," said Marc Lavorgna, a spokesman for the mayor.

The plan - estimated to generate an extra $10 million in annual income for the cash-strapped agency - is expected to be ratified tomorrow, as it appears to have the majority of the full board's support.

"There's no statutory provision that firetrucks get an E-ZPass, just like there's no statutory provision that they get free gas either," said Gary Dellaverson, the chief financial officer for the MTA.