Charging, Tolling & Road Pricing

Following a series of consultations with stakeholders, South Africa’s Inter-Ministerial Committee on the Gauteng Freeway Improvement Project (GFIP), led by Deputy President Kgalema Motlanthe, Cabinet, has recommended that the South African National Roads Agency Limited (Sanral) should proceed with the implementation of an e-tolling system.

Spanish technology provider, Indra, has been awarded contracts valued at US$13.1 million to supply traffic and toll management technology for Indian motorways. Indian infrastructure company GMR has awarded the company three contracts to implement its toll technology on the motorways of the Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Rajastan and Gujarat states.

The US Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) is to implement pilot project for a completely cashless toll system for the Henry Hudson Bridge in New York City. The system partly depends on the E-Z Pass device and the Hudson Bridge was chosen for the pilot project as E-Z Pass is already used by over 87% of drivers. Drivers using E-Z Pass will be offered a discounted toll to encourage continued use; drivers without a pass will be identified by licence plate images and will be billed for the full rate b

Earthquake sensors, automatic barriers and real time monitoring systems are all part of a scheme to make a major Seattle traffic artery safer, by taking it underground. Huw Williams reports. Seattle’s metropolitan area of 3.5 million people, like much of the western seaboard of the United States, lies in an earthquake zone. In Seattle’s case, the city and its hinterland sit atop a complex network of interrelated active geological faults capable of severe seismic activity and posing complex considerations fo

A new freeway toll scheme plan has been unveiled by the Transportation and Communication Minister Mao Chi-kuo in Taiwan. All drivers are required to pay toll under the pay-as-you-go scheme. According to the minister, an average of between US$0.51 and US$0.68 will be paid by the drivers daily. Planned to be launched in 2013, the charges will be based on travel distance. A ladder-type pricing measure will be proposed by the ministry to show the maximum and minimum toll fees based on the travelled distance. Me

Following their recent toll system success in Australia, Q-Free have received an order for transponders or on board units (OBUs) from Via Verde, the only tag issuer in Portugal. Q-Free has a long relationship with Via Verde, which is part of the Brisa Group. The order has a value of approximately US$1.7 million and will be supplied during 2012. Q-Free OBUs are designed to blend discreetly into the interior of any modern vehicle without obstructing the view, and support all applicable CEN 5.8 GHz DSRC protoc