Charging, Tolling & RUC

Sirit Corporation, a Federal Signal company and a global provider of radio frequency identification (RFID) technology, has been awarded a contract by Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) to supply its industry leading IDentity 5200 readers and tags for the SR 520 bridge in Seattle, as well as the existing SR 167 HOT lanes. The initial contract is valued at approximately US$2.8 million.

Vito Marcolongo and Marco Troglia, Quaeryon srl describe the Mobility Credits Model, which is intended to combine inducements and fairness to improve mobility while reducing its more negative economic and environmental effects

Road toll system provider Kapsch TrafficCom is to raise production capacity at its factory in the Swedish town of Jönköping as a result of two orders which have a combined value of US$29.37million.

On the eve of the Gulf Traffic show in Dubai, ITS Arab secretary general and Innova Consulting managing director Zeina Nazer reviews prospects for road user charging in the Middle East and North Africa

Q-Free has received an order, valued at approximately US$26.5 million, from the Portuguese road operator Ascendi for a major infrastructure project in Portugal.

In 2008, Italy's first traffic charge named 'Ecopass' was launched in Milan in an attempt to reduce road congestion and pollution levels as well as to boost public transport through the re-investment of the pollution charge revenues.

With all the debates over the most suitable future technology or technologies for charging and tolling, is it not time for the industry to look at what the rest of ITS is doing and bring a rank outsider - the smart phone - closer into the fold? By Jack Opiola, D'Artagnan Consulting LLC