TRENTON, NJ — Lawmakers and officials are raising the alarm after the New Jersey Turnpike Authority awarded a $1.73 billion E-ZPass contract to TransCore, a company owned by Singapore Technologies Engineering (ST Engineering), which has reported ties to China.
The decision, finalized in September, transferred the state’s tolling operations from Newark-based Conduent, Inc., which had managed the system for 22 years, to the foreign-owned firm.
TransCore’s bid was $250 million higher than Conduent’s final offer of $1.479 billion, sparking criticism from officials concerned about national security risks.
Former U.S. Senator Robert Torricelli, a consultant for Conduent, warned that allowing a foreign-owned company access to America’s tolling infrastructure poses a serious security threat.
“I would rather the Chinese knew what I was watching on TikTok than have the Chinese monitoring my car going up and down the New Jersey Turnpike,” Torricelli said in a television interview this week.
Congressman Jeff Van Drew also voiced opposition, calling the decision “reckless” and urging the Turnpike Authority to reconsider. “America’s security must always come first,” Van Drew said in a statement.
New Jersey State Senator Michael Testa questioned how the New Jersey Transportation Authority could let the state’s E-ZPass system fall into the hands of a foreign business.
“It boggles my mind that the NJTA will allow this to happen,” Testa said. “I will be speaking with my team to weigh legislative options in Trenton to ensure this is never allowed to occur again. We must keep New Jerseyans data & privacy SAFE from the CCP and any foreign adversary.”
The contract has renewed concerns over foreign access to U.S. infrastructure, with officials questioning whether the deal adequately protects American drivers’ data and security.
