Skip to main content

A Texas star for ViaPlus

Firm will provide number-plate imaging in Houston for Harris County’s toll authority
By David Arminas May 13, 2024 Read time: 2 mins
Contract takes in free-flow highways in and around Houston (© Bryan Roschetzky | Dreamstime.com)

ViaPlus has been selected by Harris County Toll Road Authority in Texas to provide image review services on the free-flow highways in and around Houston.

The 19-month base contract includes four one-year extension options and will start after an implementation period of seven to nine months for software configuration, staffing and services.

Harris County Toll Road Authority’s free-flow system includes the taking of licence plate images for toll invoicing. Through the contract, ViaPlus will provide automatic and manual processing of these images.

Overall, ViaPlus will optimise the image review process with its optical character recognition software and machine learning algorithms and will manually review any outstanding post-processed transactions. Together these modules deliver the highest efficacy for revenue capture in a video tolling system and will contribute to the smooth operation of the authority’s free-flow electronic tolling operations.

With this new contract, ViaPlus strengthens its position in Texas, noted Richard Arce, chief executive of ViaPlus, part of Vinci Highways. The contract adds to its portfolio of free-flow services in Dallas, Austin, Rancho Viejo and Pharr. Total ViaPlus transactions in the state exceeded 1.35 billion in 2023.

“We are eager to continue scaling our operations in Texas with our full range of mobility solutions,” he said “Texas is a leader in modern and large-scale highway networks and supporting the authority’s video toll programme demonstrates the strategic initiatives of ViaPlus and Vinci Highways to grow mobility operations in and around the state.”

ViaPlus specialises in revenue and services management solutions. Its customer operations, data analytics and full-featured, single-account back-office technology help manage high-volume transactions required for seamless multimodal mobility.

Vinci Highways, a Vinci Concessions subsidiary, designs, finances, builds and operates highways, bridges, tunnels, urban roads and mobility services along 3,140km in 14 countries.

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • Kapsch tags Chile for tolling success
    October 24, 2023
    Company has reached 1.6 billion multi-lane free-flow transactions in capital Santiago
  • Emovis puts Elizabeth River Crossings free-flow toll into action
    February 7, 2025
    Old tolling system will be decommissioned after implementation in Virginia
  • Texas goes public on habitual toll violators
    March 24, 2015
    Andrew Bardin Williams considers the effect of the ‘Name and Shame’ strategy adopted in Texas to encourage serial toll violators to pay up. It’s a tough time to be a scofflaw in the Lone Star State. Habitual toll violators - some with tens of thousands of unpaid tolls and fees - are being publically shamed into squaring their accounts with US toll agencies. In November 2013 the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) starting publishing a list of the state’s most egregious toll violators on its website.
  • Free-flow toll systems lower operational risks says road operator
    April 23, 2015
    Multi-lane free-flow toll systems lower the operational risk of highway concessions, according to toll road operator Renovias Concessionária, which implemented the first such system in Brazil. "Operational risk is lower than manned toll booths as no workers are needed," Renovias maintenance manager Michell Costa told BNamericas. The system in place on São Paulo state highway SP340 detects the electronic fee collection tags in vehicles using both 5.8GHz and 915MHz frequencies, and captures front and re