Thales shows MoRSE tolling solution in Bordeaux

One of the most unusual of objects on display here in Bordeaux is undoubtedly Thales’ MoRSE (Moveable Roadside Equipment) device. The large white cylindrical box is in fact a mobile system of three technologies for tolling and road user charging (RUC).
October 6, 2015 Read time: 2 mins

One of the most unusual of objects on display here in Bordeaux is undoubtedly 596 Thales’ MoRSE (Moveable Roadside Equipment) device. The large white cylindrical box is in fact a mobile system of three technologies for tolling and road user charging (RUC).

Thales is one of France’s leading transportation technology suppliers. For instance, the company has developed a new electronic contactless ticketing system for the Bordeaux Metropole tram system, which is due to go live later this year. But the focus of Thales’ display at the 2015 ITS World Congress is “what we can do for customers on road networks”, says the company’s product line manager Denis Perret.

The MoRSE device is a result of work done by Thales to support development of France’s Ecotax national truck tolling system. The technology needed to implement Ecotax was completed and ready for launch as commissioned by the EcoMove consortium, before political pressures led the French Government to cancel Ecotax in September 2014.

“The technology and expertise is now readily available for other highway authorities to use or adapt for road and traffic management,” says Perret.

MoRSE was developed as a more cost effective and environmentally friendly alternative to installing RUC technology on gantries. The white box contains an ANPR (automatic number plate recognition) camera for capturing high definition images of vehicles, DSRC (dedicated short range communication) radio for communicating with in-vehicle units, and laser technology for automatic vehicle classification.

“The MoRSE box takes just 45 minutes to set up or remove for transport to a new location. It means there is no need for gantries and roadside equipment can be installed with a smaller environmental footprint,” Perret says.

Other technology developed for Ecotax and on display here in Bordeaux includes a vehicle data analytics platform. “This is an interactive tool for visualising and analysing vehicle and route data, part of a wider back off system for validating passage reports,” says Perret.

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • Tollers make way as NextNav muscles into 902-928MHz spectrum
    July 30, 2013
    Toll operators and Progeny trade claim and counter claim about the potential ramifications of operating in the 902-928MHz spectrum, as Jon Masters finds out. Two months after the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) determined that Progeny can start commercial operation of its NextNav location finding service, the dust has begun to settle. The tolling industry has had a chance to reflect on how this may impact its operations, in the knowledge that NextNav will share the 902-928MHz frequency band with RFI
    Read More
  • Rotating motorway sign pole reduces need for road closures
    September 25, 2014
    Crown International says its second generation of cantilever pole is producing significant savings in the cost of managing and maintaining with large motorway signs. The rotating and lowering, counter-balanced cantilevered pole (designated VMC) was developed for applications ranging from large matrix signs and CCTV to tolling, surveillance and automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) cameras. Rather than requiring maintenance engineers to work at height above the carriageway, the pole can be manually ro
    Read More
  • Asecap meeting tackles tolling’s future challenges
    March 3, 2017
    Carole Défossé, communication & information manager at Asecap, previews the association’s forthcoming annual meeting. With 72% of Europeans moving by car and 60% of freight being transported by trucks, road infrastructures are central to Europe’s mobility and toll roads form a key part of those networks.
    Read More
  • Vitronic to display full fixed, mobile, autonomous enforcement range at Intertraffic
    February 26, 2016
    Vitronic will use Intertraffic Amsterdam to display its full range of roadside equipment for fixed, mobile and autonomous deployment, including the new Enforcement Trailer. The company will also use the event to highlight global successes since its last appearance, as Boris Wagner, Head of International Sales, PoliScan at Vitronic, explains.
    Read More

Highlighted Content