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.

Related Content

  • Free-flow upgrade to Holland's Westerschelde tunnel's toll system
    February 1, 2012
    Unbroken service Technolution's Winifred Roggekamp and Dave Marples describe efforts to upgrade the Westerscheldetunnel's tolling system to give free-flow capability. Until 2003 the Flanders region of Zeeland, in the south-west of the Netherlands, was connected to the mainland only by ferry. The new Westerscheldetunnel, a 6.6km toll tunnel, improves communications with the region considerably, taking some 100km off the alternative road journey. In 2006 it was recognised that the toll plaza for the tunnel ne
    Read More
  • Bringing V2I and V2V communications to workzone safety
    January 26, 2012
    Imran Hayee of the University of Minnesota Duluth's Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering talks about efforts to bring V2I and V2V communications into work zones. With USDOT backing and under the auspices of the ITS Joint Program Office Connected Vehicle Research (formerly IntelliDrive) research programme, M. Imran Hayee of the University of Minnesota Duluth's Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering along with team of his students, have been conducting research into the application of
    Read More
  • The twisting path to enforcement’s future
    June 5, 2014
    Survey reveals some division of views about enforcement’s future as Colin Sowman discovers. Technological advances and legislative changes pose many questions for those involved in road enforcement, ranging from the changing demands of privacy and data protection legislation to the practicalities on multi-speed enforcement. So to get the industry’s views ITS International took soundings on some of these bigger questions. In a world where many vehicles are fitted with GPS linked ‘black box’ telematics system
    Read More
  • Vitronic tackles traffic congestion
    October 13, 2021
    Vitronic is presenting visitors with versatile, flexible, and user-friendly traffic technology solutions. The company is addressing two of the most important questions of future mobility: the climate crisis and increased traffic volume in cities
    Read More

Highlighted Content