A while ago Dallas/Forth Worth International Airport announced the launch of a new parking system. An upgrade in the parking control system would enhance the parking experience for customers. Travellers can enjoy discounts and fast transitions with an NTTA TollTag or a credit card. All entry lanes and most exit lanes are automated. For parkers that need assistance, there are still staffed parking kiosks. Total costs of this project: about $56 million.
The automated entry- and exit lanes automatically register every vehicle that enters or exits the parking facility. Drivers pay with their NTTA (North Texas Toll Authority) TollTag, credit card or cash when they leave the facility.
Unfortunately the new parking system had a rough start. Thousands of travellers who choose to park their car at the airport have been overcharged in the first two weeks due to technical errors. Officials say that one of the problems involved the scanners. The scanners failed to read toll tags properly and recorded wrong times for entry and exit, which lead to overcharging. Some parkers weren’t charged at all.
For example:
A person drives into the parking facility. The system registers the car as it enters the facility. On exit, the system fails to read the TollTag. A few days later this person enters the facility and when wants to leave, the system thinks he never left in the first place and charges for all the days in between the two visits.
DWF Airport apologizes for the inconvenience in an official press release
“We are truly sorry for the inconvenience. Even though 99% of our customers are being billed correctly, we know that 99% is not good enough, and we are working hard to eliminate the issues and to quickly refund those customers we have impacted,” said Chris Poinsatte, Chief Financial Officer of DFW Airport. “We want to reassure our customers that we will certainly do everything we can to ensure an accurate charge on their next visit, and fast, friendly customer service if there is any issue to resolve.” (Source)
Customers who have been overcharged can get a refund.
