Limousine Co to settle penalties

An East Boston limousine company was ordered to pay $65,000 in restitution and penalties to the Massachusetts Turnpike Authority because it used employee's personal Fast Lane toll transponders to avoid commercial tunnel fares in the course of its business last year, Massachusetts Attorney General Martha Coakley announced recently.

Not only did A&M Limousine Service Co., Inc. make use of lower fares using noncommercial transponders in the Ted Williams and Sumner tunnels, Coakley said, the company owned a 40-cent discount East Boston, North End, and South Boston residents are usually granted for traveling the underground roads.

"Abuse of the MTA's resident discount program to literally steal from the Commonwealth is unacceptable and will not be tolerated," Coakley said.

The complaint alleges A&M used employees’ personal Fast Lane transponders on company limousines to avoid paying commercial tolls. Coakley says that allowed the East Boston-based service to pay a local resident discount rate of 40 cents for trips through the Sumner and Ted Williams tunnels, rather than the commercial toll of $4.50.

The state alleges A&M evaded $32,000 in tunnel fares. Under the arrangement filed in court, A&M contradicts any wrongdoing.