AUSTIN (KXAN) — The company contracted to operate toll roads throughout the state has been fined nearly $177,000 in damages by the Texas Department of Transportation. Xerox’s $100 million contract with the State of Texas includes handling customer service and the TxTag website. But since taking over last year, TxTag customers have been plagued with billing problems, issues with the website and long wait times when trying to get through on the phone.

TxDOT promised months ago the situations plaguing the TxTag billing process was getting better. In September, TxDOT claimed the issue was fixed. But customers continue to say they are unable to reach representatives on the phone and that the website still is not working properly. Others say they are receiving incorrect bills. The transportation department now says, “Xerox faces additional penalties of hundreds of thousands of dollars or more for its failure to meet contractual and performance obligations.”

The problems also have one Cedar Park lawmaker calling for an audit into whether TxDOT has been collecting money from customers who may have been billed in error.

“This entire situation has gotten completely out of hand,” said State Rep. Tony Dale. “I wonder how many thousands of dollars of erroneous toll violations have been assessed and collected.”

In addition to the audit request, Dale sent a letter to TxDOT officials asking for an emergency meeting. Dale wants to know just how much money TxDOT has made in violation fines from toll users.

“When a person gets five, six or seven bills in the mail that all have violations attached and they never received a letter before in the first place, that’s unacceptable. It has to change.”

Earle Sherrod is one of many TxTag users who continue to get bills months later. Not only that, he’s getting fined on top of it.

“This bill is from last April…a year ago last April,” Sherrod said. “It’s not about the amount. It’s about all I have to go through all the hassle to get it straightened out.”

For Dale, it’s about knowing when this will be fixed once and for all.

“My question specifically was, ‘When’s this going to end?’ and I don’t have an answer to that yet.”

Dale says he requested a follow-up meeting this Thursday with additional TxDOT officials to continue talking about the problems and how to come up with solutions.

KXAN Investigates continues to receive complaints from Central Texans who have had trouble paying their tolls with TxTag, getting delayed bills only to discover they have been turned over to collection, or even talking to a live person about their accounts. If you are still having issues, let us know by sending an email to ReportIt@kxan.com.