As New Jersey's E-ZPass electronic toll system nears its first anniversary, it is the target of much criticism.

According to The New York Times, critics have used terms such as "embarrassment," "sorry saga," and "big mess." "And the thousands of E-Zpass users who have spent fruitless hours trying to reach the system's understaffed customer service center have been using other, unprintable descriptives."
Last week, acting Gov. Donald DeFrancisco responded to an outcry from infuriated drivers by raising the speed limit for E-ZPass lanes to 15 mph from what many saw as an unrealistic 5 mph.
Edward Gross, who heads both the turnpike and the E-Zpass program, told the Times that while the system may have some problems, "in a system this large and complex, you're bound to have a hiccup from time to time."
Gross said much of the problem stems from the unanticipated popularity of the system, which at some toll plazas is used by up to 70 percent of the drivers. That's twice as many as agency studies had projected.
What's more, New Jersey is not the first state to have problems implementing the system, according to the paper. It cited problems in San Francisco, Maine, Florida, and, closer to home, New York's Metropolitan Transportation Authority.
Gross told the paper that the agency is pushing the system's operators, Adesta Communications and Chase Manhattan, to do better. A new software program should cut down on false violations, and 10 people will be added to the call center's staff, for a total of 75.