TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Gov. Ron DeSantis on Friday extended the period that SunPass and Toll-by-Plate fees and penalties would be suspended to June 1.

The Florida Department of Transportation had suspended fees and penalties through the end of March.

"Since I’ve been governor, I’ve heard the concerns from citizens and customers of SunPass and the hardships they’ve been facing related to their delayed bills and billing errors by the contractor, Conduent," DeSantis said in a news release. "I’ve directed the Florida Department of Transportation to continue suspending fees and penalties until June 1st," he said.

The move comes a little more than two weeks after a Spectrum News Watchdog investigation into SunPass billing, which became backlogged after the tolling system was brought down for maintenance a year ago. FDOT said it was caught up on the billing backlog, but customers have reported receiving erroneous Toll-by-Plate bills.

In other moves:

  • FDOT Secretary Kevin Thibault said he's ordered the executive director of Florida's Turnpike to assess the maximum penalties allowed under Conduent's contract, which is $4.6 million so far;
  • FDOT replaced its director of toll systems;
  • Thibault ordered Conduent to provide more support to customer service centers.

Conduent was awarded a seven-year, $287 million contract for SunPass toll billing and transaction support in 2015. Past investigations have uncovered that Conduent has had trouble in other states, including Texas, California, and New York.

"We are committed to fixing the issues related to Conduent’s performance and we will continue to hold them accountable," Thibault said in the release.

Anyone who has issues with their bill is urged to call 1 (888) TOLL-FLA (1-888-865-5352). You can also go to the SunPass website.

Check back for updates on this developing story.