Kapsch TrafficCom has launched an electronic toll system in Greece which it says charges drivers only for the kilometres driven on a motorway.
The Hybrid Multi-Lane Toll System supplements the existing payment system on the A8 Athens-Patras motorway that charges drivers for an entire section of road, even if they exit after the first of several toll barriers within that section.
To use the new service, cars will be equipped with units attached to the interior of the windscreen.
When the car enters a toll checkpoint, the system will automatically debit the toll costs from the owner's customer account and the barrier will open to allow the vehicle onto the highway.
As the vehicle exits the route, any overpaid costs for the entire section will be credited back to the driver's account in a mileage-based billing transaction.
Civic leaders of cities and towns along the Athens-Patras motorway have lobbied for the introduction of the Hybrid Multi-Lane Toll System, the company adds.
“The European Union sees traditional section payment as an unfair phase-out model and is pushing to charge only for actual kilometres driven," said Michael Weber, strategic sales manager at Kapsch TrafficCom.
Weber predicts that other toll routes in Greece, Spain and Italy are likely to follow the example of the new system.
"This method will be mandatory for new toll routes and a recommended feature for existing toll routes. This means that the changeover on the A8 motorway from Athens to Patras last December was not only groundbreaking for Greece, but likely to set a precedent throughout the EU."
The billing technology not only ensures that costs are charged fairly in line with EU recommendations, but can also be expanded to include additional services. “For example, it is possible to set the toll for vehicles according to different environmental standards: e-vehicles would pay less than gasoline or diesel," said Weber.
