Motorists may be rushing to sign up for the new tolling system for the Port Mann Bridge, but a couple hundred people will be getting a letter they likely didn't expect.

Transportation Investment Corporation (TI Corp.), the company operating the TReO toll service, has issued letters to 271 TReO Port Mann Bridge customers whose tolling accounts were flagged due to possible compromise.

The company said there is no evidence any customer's personal information was compromised, but notices went out to account holders as a precaution.

In a statement released Sunday, TI Corp. said the accounts were handled by a customer service representative at the Coquitlam call centre, who did not have the required authorization.

"Immediately upon confirmation that this employee did not have the required authorization, the employee was terminated and the matter was referred to the Coquitlam RCMP," the statement said.

The company indicated potentially affected account holders are now being contacted by TI Corp. by letter. A telephone line has also been established to help affected customers.

The company noted the 271 affected accounts were created or updated over the phone by a single customer service representative, maintaining the integrity of the electronic tolling system was never at risk and accounts created online were not affected.

TI Corp. said it also notified the Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner of the potential compromise of personal information, adding it has implemented new procedures to prevent a similar breach from reoccurring.

Since TReO was announced last month, motorists have been flocking to sign up to the tolling system.

TReO is a system designed to cover toll registration, account management, payment and customer service needs. More than 70,000 drivers have registered for TReO accounts, exceeding the company's expectations.

"I think the people are recognizing that TReO is going to be the easy electronic efficient way to cross the Port Mann Bridge," said Greg Johnson, TI Corp.'s manager of communications for the Port Mann/Highway 1 Project.

The company is eventually hoping to get 300,000 drivers signed up for the tolling system.

Johnson noted the company is concentrating its sign-up efforts in communities that neighbour the Port Mann Bridge, but added people from around the Lower Mainland are signing up for the toll system. The new toll is set at $1.50 and goes into effect in December. The price break will remain in place until Feb. 28. The toll was originally slated to be $3.

TI Corp. is encouraging residents to sign up before the end of November and, as an incentive, is offering 20 free crossings across the bridge.

Johnson said the creation of more accounts helps the company run a more efficient tolling system.

jdeutsch@thenownews.com