Skip to main content

Kapsch flows free in France

New toll system on A79 set to process 15,000 vehicles per day along 88km stretch
By Adam Hill December 2, 2022 Read time: 2 mins
Kapsch will provide free-flow gantries for several French highways (© Prillfoto | Dreamstime.com)

Kapsch TrafficCom has delivered a barrier-free tolling system in France.

Kapsch says drivers no longer have to slow down or stop for tolling on the new A79 motorway in the centre of the country, thanks to the multi-lane free-flow system.

The system is set to process between 10,000 to 15,000 vehicles per day along its 88km stretch.

“The A79 is the first free-flow highway in the country and thus a major step towards multi-lane free-flow implementation and migration on the French highway network,” comments Quentin Houet, area sales manager at Kapsch TrafficCom.

The company says this means not only optimised travel time and less fuel use for motorists but also fewer emissions, as congested traffic is one of the main sources of traffic-related pollution.

In September, Kapsch was awarded another contract for free-flow gantries including hardware supply and related software by French highway concessionaire SAPN.

It will be installed along 250km of the A13 and A14 highways, a heavily-frequented highway route which runs between capital city Paris and the city of Caen in Normandy, and Kapsch says it will save 30,000 tons of CO2 per year.

The gantries are able to detect, identify and classify vehicles and calculate the corresponding toll fee automatically.

“This project is a major stepping stone in the migration from traditional plaza tolling towards free flow systems for a cleaner mobility and a seamless driving experience for the people using the A13 and A14 highways,” says Houet.

The first parts of the new system are expected to become operational in the second half of 2023 to allow a free flow go-live in the course of 2024.

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • Work to begin on M1 improvements
    December 11, 2013
    Work on the M1 Junction 19 improvement scheme near Catthorpe, Leicestershire, will start in January, UK roads minster Robert Goodwill has announced today. The US$312.7 million scheme will reduce congestion and improve journey time reliability and safety by replacing the existing junction with a three-level junction and improving roads between the villages of Catthorpe and Swinford so local traffic can avoid the junction.
  • South Korea reduces toll fees for EVs, hydrogen cars
    July 13, 2017
    Highway toll charges in South Korea for electric and hydrogen fuel-cell vehicles will halve from September, the transport ministry has said, reports Yonhap News Agency.
  • Siemens switches US city of Manchester to LED street lights
    July 9, 2015
    Siemens is switching 9,000 street lights to LED technology in the US city of Manchester in New Hampshire. Some 4,500 lamps have already been refitted and the work should be completed by the end of September. Siemens will also be responsible for service and maintenance work. Siemens says LED technology reduces power consumption by 60 per cent and will bring the city considerable financial benefits, with annual savings of US$500,000 in terms of energy and maintenance costs such as replacing light bulbs.
  • Sigma breaks into the French tolling market with deal for Sanef
    March 20, 2018
    Italian vending solutions provider Sigma has entered the French tolling market by supplying self-service payment machines to Sanef, Société des Autoroutes du Nord et de l'Est de la France. Sigma’s cash and electronic payment units are being installed on the motorways A1, A13, A26 and A29. The French deals comes after a recent similar contract in Austria where highways operator Asfinag ordered the TP1000. SIGMA says that it remains the sole supplier of self-service payment machines in Austrian tolled m