Jim Trogdon, the 2-star general who serves as number-2 guy at the state Department of Transportation, says he'll move quickly to improve customer service at the N.C. Turnpike Authority.

(2/7/13 update: Tata apologizes for 'completely avoidable' billing errors, and promises fix.)

Trogdon responded to Tuesday's Road Worrier column about 800 drivers who were double-billed, because they used both N.C. Quick Pass and E-ZPass transponders, for their trips on the Triangle Expressway. A turnpike official blamed the drivers, saying they should have known not to use two transponders.

"We’ll get that fixed," Trogdon, DOT's chief operating officer, said Tuesday in a 7:40 a.m. phone message.

"I think there’s some pretty basic things we should have done here. And we’ll make sure we get ‘em done. Because the customer expectation voiced I think by the customer service center is way too high -- and it’s not a burden our customers should be shouldering without plenty of assistance.

"So I’ll speak with the secretary this morning and see if we can’t do something fairly quick to address the shortcoming in our performance."

The Senate Rules Committee chairman launched an investigation today into what he called "fraudulent" letters sent to legislators last week that appeared to reverse the state Department of Transportation's position on the need for $63 million in start-up funds for two toll projects (see today's story with reader comments).

Sen. Tom Apodaca, a Hendersonville Republican, said DOT officials would be asked to speak at a Rules Committee hearing Wednesday morning, and representatives of Gov. Bev Perdue's office would be asked to speak at a second hearing Thursday morning.

The letters were drafted Thursday morning by Perdue staffers on DOT stationery and over the signature of Jim Trogdon, DOT's chief operating officer, and appeared to reverse a recommendation Trogdon had made in a June 8 memo to legislative leaders. ... [MORE]