Clearly, some toll payment smishing perpetrators have succeeded in bypassing the filtering and security measures mobile companies provide for the protection of their customers. WRCB reports that exploiting a “loophole” in Apple security protocols is one method scammers have found to prey on iPhone owners. The article describes a ruse that fraudsters are using to pass smishing website links to message recipients. Its advice to iPhone users is “[a]void responding to any text messages you’re not anticipating, especially those that ask for a ‘Y’ or any other confirmation.”
Public
Illinois Tollway Is Accepting Student Internship Applications
The Illinois Tollway Authority announced that students with the requisite educational qualifications can apply online for its 2025 Internship Programs through March 30. Internships with pay and flexible scheduling offer students “practical experience in different segments of the transportation industry and government, while connecting them with mentors and professional development opportunities to help further their careers. These experiences will help prepare students for leadership roles in their chosen fields.”
The Tollway’s annual Professional Services Internships run from June 2 through August 8, 2025, “placing students in various Tollway departments such as administration, business systems, facilities and fleet, finance, information technology, internal audit, office of the inspector general, operations, planning security and safety and stakeholder engagement.”
The Tollway also offers two Engineering Cooperative Education Internship programs for engineering students: a summer program from June to August 2025 and a year-long program from June 2025 through May 2026. “These internships provide hands-on experience in project management, structural drafting and 3-D modeling, and construction inspections and traffic maintenance.”
Students interested in learning more about internships can read the announcement, view an informational video, refer to the Careers section on the Tollway’s website (scroll down to “Illinois Tollway Internship Program Information”), or sign up for a live online information session scheduled for Friday morning, March 14.
India Postpones Satellite Toll System Implementation
The Times of India reports, last week, a national transport ministry official informed lawmakers that India will delay implementation of a GNSS-based tolling system until the country can deploy its own navigational satellites. The official said the decision was necessary to ensure the security of government data and the privacy of citizens. The announcement was unexpected because road transport and highways minister Nitin Gadkari had repeatedly stated in public and in parliament that a transition to satellite-based, multi-lane free flow tolling (MLFF) was close to implementation. The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has launched an MLFF system procurement.
AASHTO Spring Meeting Registration Opens
Registration is now opened for the 2025 Spring Meeting of the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO), scheduled for May 12 to 15 in Hartford, Connecticut. Hosted by Connecticut DOT, the event will feature “experts from all over the country gathering for sessions that highlight topics that are top of mind for state departments of transportation and partner agencies.” It will also be the backdrop for gatherings of AASHTO’s committees and councils. A draft of the agenda is accessible online.
USDOT Deputy Secretary Nominee Wins Committee Support By Narrow Margin
Transport Topics reports, on Thursday, February 27, the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee narrowly approved President Trump’s nomination of Steven Bradbury to serve as USDOT deputy secretary. A party-line vote of 15-to-13 sent the nomination to the Senate floor.
Democratic opposition to the nominee isn’t surprising given aspects of his USDOT service during the first Trump presidency and positions he took as a Justice Department lawyer in the George W. Bush administration. However, Bradbury received support from committee chair Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX) and “garnered praise from more than two dozen stakeholders” during his February 20 nomination hearing. A floor vote hasn’t been scheduled yet.
“Safety+Health” Magazine reports on Bradbury’s appearance before the committee.