Charging, Tolling & RUC

Ireland’s National Roads Authority (NRA) has awarded Egis the renewal and extension of the operation and maintenance contract of the Dublin Tunnel for a period of six years, with a possible four-year extension. This new contract follows a first operation and maintenance contract awarded to the Group in February 2006 and includes the toll collection, traffic and safety management and routine maintenance, including winter and equipment maintenance. It also includes the operation and maintenance of the

New York’s Metropolitan Transportation Authority Bridges & Tunnels (MTA B&T) has selected TransCore to deploy the agency’s first all-electronic tolling (AET) system on the historic Henry Hudson Bridge. Built in 1936, the iconic bridge provides passage for more than 63,000 vehicles each day. The AET project is part of a three-year, US$33 million MTA B&T bridge rehabilitation project to replace the original 1930s steel supports as well as install 3,600 feet of new bridge decking, new energy-efficient roadw

Speaking at the company’s annual general meeting this week, chief executive of toll road operator Transurban, Scott Charlton, claimed that there will come a time when Australia’s roads can no longer be widened to alleviate increasing congestion. He told shareholders that policy reform around infrastructure will be an increasing focus of stakeholders to ensure the most efficient and fair use of transport networks. “As we have said before, it is clear that we cannot simply keep building out the network

According to Belgian entrance control company Automatic Systems, the market for automatic licence plate recognition (ALPR) systems is set to reach over US$800 million in 2018. Automatic Systems says its ParkPlus and TollPlus barriers for toll and parking applications are fully compatible with the ALPR technology and its mechanical and electronic components can be seamlessly integrated within the robust barrier housing. Designed for highway toll booths, the TollPlus series of barriers offer a wide rang

Five new members, San Diego Association of Governments (SANDAG), Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC), 7Layers, eTrans2020 and Rohde & Schwarz, have joined the OmniAir Consortium, the association formed to advocate connected vehicle interoperability (IOP) through independent certification programs. Among these new members is the consortium’s third certification lab, 7Layers, which has announced plans to become accredited to certify DSRC equipment through OmniAir Certification Services. ETrans2020

A new review by the commissioned by the Australian Federal Government and chaired by University of Melbourne economics professor Ian Harper makes a strong case for what it calls ‘cost-reflective road pricing’. The 313 page review of competition policy in Australia says the advent of new technology presents opportunities to improve the efficiency of road transport in ways that were unattainable two decades ago. Linking road user charges to road construction, maintenance and safety should make road investm

Despite support from the Justice Project South Africa (JPSA) and the Opposition to Urban Tolling Alliance (OUTA), Gauteng’s e-tolls will not be replaced with a fuel levy after the country’s other eight provinces overwhelmingly rejected this idea, saying they will not be made to pay for excellent roads when theirs are poorly maintained. The provinces also rejected a proposal that the national government should take over the funding of improvements to Gauteng highways. Instead of the current user-pay p

Q-Free has further expanded its advanced traffic management systems and road user charging business, with the acquisition of US company Open Roads Consulting. Q-Free says Open Roads Consulting's software solutions will be a valuable addition to its own ATMS solutions in the US and internationally. Established in 2000, Open Roads Consulting has 74 employees and operates mission critical traffic deployments and video based surveillance of critical assets in 30 states in the US. “We are happy to close t

Tolling may be the way forward for paying for the roads of the future - but where will concessionaires find the money and do they need funding or financing? Increasingly, governments around the world are concluding that they can no longer pay for new roads and are turning to the private sector for help.

ASECAP debated the impact of the financial crises on Europe’s tolling companies and considered the future in diverse economies. Colin Sowman picks some of the highlights. This year ASECAP (Association Europeenne des Concessionnaires d’Autoroutes et d’Ouvrages a’ Peage, with members in 21 countries managing 46,000km of roadway) held its annual Study & Information Days in Athens, Greece – one of the country hardest hit by recent economic problems. While the theme of the conference, Ensuring Sustainability in