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Bye-bye transponders: E-ZPass switching to stickers
State officials estimate the new toll tags will save the state $7.4 million annually.
Massachusetts drivers will begin seeing a new form of E-ZPass starting Sunday as the state transitions from hard-plastic transponders to smaller windshield sticker tags.
The new sticker tags, which will be provided to E-ZPass customers free of charge, contain embedded radio-frequency identification (RFID) technology that allows tolling equipment to read them as vehicles pass beneath highway gantries, according to a WBZ report.
Highway Administrator Jonathan Gulliver said the sticker includes a small embedded chip that is activated as it moves under toll readers.
“It works on an RFID system, so it means it’s energized as it passes underneath tolling gantries,” Gulliver told the outlet. “They can read it accurately just like you can a regular transponder, and then you go on your way.”
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Drivers who currently use the transponders do not need to take any action, as their existing transponders will continue to work.
The new stickers will also be issued at no cost to drivers who need to replace their existing transponders. Previously, customers had to pay a $20 replacement fee.
Highway officials say the switch from transponders to stickers aims to reduce costs.
MassDOT estimates the sticker tags cost about 55 cents to produce, compared with $6.70 for traditional transponders. The agency projects the switch will save roughly $615,000 per month — or about $7.38 million annually, according to WBZ.
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