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

  • 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
  • Traffic signals turn red to stop speeding drivers
    March 15, 2012
    David Crawford is encouraged by the spread of 'soft' speed policing 
  • Mexico City seeks solutions to improve air quality
    December 6, 2017
    David Crawford ponders prospects for one of the world’s most congested and polluted cities. In 1992, the United Nations named Mexico City as the world’s most polluted urban centre. In the first half of 2016, following the updating of pollution alert limits to meet international standards, Mexico recorded 115 days where ozone concentrations exceeded the acute exposure health limit.
  • Raytheon to convert Massachusetts to AET
    August 14, 2014
    The Massachusetts Department of Transportation awarded Raytheon Company a US$130 million contract for an all electronic tolling system (AET). Raytheon and a team of Massachusetts-based companies will convert and replace all manual cash and electronic toll collection systems with an advanced system that will automatically toll vehicles as they pass under a gantry similar to an overhead sign. Drivers will be able to pass through the toll station at highway speeds without the need to slow down or stop. Ray