Charging, Tolling & RUC

The Confederation of British Industry (CBI) calls for road charging should be introduced on the strategic road network in England. Proposals in the report, Bold Thinking: A model to fund our future roads also suggest that responsibility for the network’s budget should be taken away from the Department for Transport (DfT) and given to an independent regulator. Launching the report, CBI director-general John Cridland said a regulatory asset base (RAB) model was required to address the problem of long-term fu

The US Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) is to implement pilot project for a completely cashless toll system for the Henry Hudson Bridge in New York City. The system partly depends on the E-Z Pass device and the Hudson Bridge was chosen for the pilot project as E-Z Pass is already used by over 87% of drivers. Drivers using E-Z Pass will be offered a discounted toll to encourage continued use; drivers without a pass will be identified by licence plate images and will be billed for the full rate b

Earthquake sensors, automatic barriers and real time monitoring systems are all part of a scheme to make a major Seattle traffic artery safer, by taking it underground. Huw Williams reports. Seattle’s metropolitan area of 3.5 million people, like much of the western seaboard of the United States, lies in an earthquake zone. In Seattle’s case, the city and its hinterland sit atop a complex network of interrelated active geological faults capable of severe seismic activity and posing complex considerations fo

The Moscow region’s first toll road opened on 1 October 2012 on the M4 Don highway. The state-owned company Russian Highways (Avtodor) has invested US193 million to reconstruct the road before introducing the toll system, which it is planned to extend in the future. Car drivers will pay US$0.32 at night and US$0.96 during the day; truck drivers will pay from US$0.48 to US$3.8 depending on vehicle size and time of day. Drivers can pay by cash, credit cards, prepaid contactless smart cards, or via transpond

A new freeway toll scheme plan has been unveiled by the Transportation and Communication Minister Mao Chi-kuo in Taiwan. All drivers are required to pay toll under the pay-as-you-go scheme. According to the minister, an average of between US$0.51 and US$0.68 will be paid by the drivers daily. Planned to be launched in 2013, the charges will be based on travel distance. A ladder-type pricing measure will be proposed by the ministry to show the maximum and minimum toll fees based on the travelled distance. Me

Following their recent toll system success in Australia, Q-Free have received an order for transponders or on board units (OBUs) from Via Verde, the only tag issuer in Portugal. Q-Free has a long relationship with Via Verde, which is part of the Brisa Group. The order has a value of approximately US$1.7 million and will be supplied during 2012. Q-Free OBUs are designed to blend discreetly into the interior of any modern vehicle without obstructing the view, and support all applicable CEN 5.8 GHz DSRC protoc

Norwegian headquartered Q-Free, supplier of road user charging solutions and advanced transportation management systems, has been awarded a contract by Roads and Maritime Services (RMS) in Australia for the design, supply and installation of an electronic tolling system for the iconic Sydney Harbour Bridge. The contract, worth US$5.7 million with additional options worth approximately US$2.9 million, comprises the supply and delivery of a roadside system, based on the company’s unique single gantry tolling

Ambassador Bridge, a key international transit corridor linking Windsor, Ontario to Detroit and one of the most heavily travelled international crossings in the US, is the first organisation in the United States to install the newly available 3M ID6204 Multiprotocol Reader, capable of reading all six tolling protocols used in North America. According to 3M, the ID6204 reader (formerly Sirit) ensures seamless interoperability regardless of tag type deployed on customer vehicles. The ID6204 features an exclus

The Autostrade led Ecomouv consortium is developing the next big system of truck tolling likely to be introduced in Europe – France’s ‘Eco-tax’. Jon Masters reports. Since October last year, a consortium of companies has been working on developing the technological and administrative systems necessary for a national system of truck tolling in France. Eco-tax, France’s truck toll, is not necessarily going to be implemented. The Ecomouv consortium has been set up as a long term concessionaire, but so far only

The Autostrade led Ecomouv consortium is developing the next big system of truck tolling likely to be introduced in Europe – France’s ‘Eco-tax’. Jon Masters reports. Since October last year, a consortium of companies has been working on developing the technological and administrative systems necessary for a national system of truck tolling in France. Eco-tax, France’s truck toll, is not necessarily going to be implemented. The Ecomouv consortium has been set up as a long term concessionaire, but so far only