Skip to main content

Q-Free wins contract extension and comments on Kapsch share purchase

The Swedish Road Administration (Transportstyrelsen) has extended the contract, announced on 27 October, 2010, appointing Q-Free to service and maintain the congestion charging infrastructure in Stockholm which was delivered by Q-Free in 2006.
May 2, 2012 Read time: 2 mins
RSSThe Swedish Road Administration (Transportstyrelsen) has extended the contract, announced on 27 October, 2010, appointing Q-Free to service and maintain the congestion charging infrastructure in Stockholm which was delivered by Q-Free in 2006.The contract extension, valued at around US$2.9 million, is for one year, starting on 1 January, 2012.

“This contract continues our active participation in the Stockholm project, which is one of the world`s most advanced and efficient congestion charging schemes,” said Øyvind Isaksen, 310 Q-Free’s CEO.

Meanwhile, the company has issued a statement following last week’s purchase of additional shares by Kapsch TrafficCom which raised its holding in Q-Free from 18.46 per cent to 20 per cent. The original share purchase was undertaken in 2009.

According to the Q-Free statement: “In 2009, the Board viewed the share purchase as an unfriendly approach from 259 Kapsch, and the Board sees no reason to change their view in relation to the share purchase conducted 29 September 2011. Kapsch has not approached the Board and disclosed their strategic intentions and rationale behind the ownership. Neither the Board nor the management of Q-Free has been contacted prior to the share purchase.

“Q-Free has in the last years invested significantly in a new competitive product portfolio and won several international tenders. In addition, Q-Free has established a global organisation. It is the opinion of the Board that this will enable a positive operational and financial development of Q-Free going forward.

“The Board is of the opinion that the current share price does not reflect the underlying value of the business, and is of the opinion that Q-Free will continue to create strong returns to shareholders as an independent company. Reference is made to Q-Free's Q2 2011 report for further information related to the company's development and projects the company is working with.

“Q-Free has engaged Arctic Securities ASA as financial advisor and Wikborg Rein as legal advisor.”

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • Virginia project for Parsons
    June 28, 2016
    Parsons has won a deal to design and installation of the nation’s first all-lane, dynamic-priced tolling system on a 16km segment of Interstate 66 in Virginia. This stretch of highway runs from Interstate 495, the Capital Beltway, to US Route 29 in Rosslyn, Virginia. Dynamic tolling, able to adjust toll pricing to demand, will operate in the peak travel direction during weekday rush hours. This will help lower traffic congestion into and out of US capital Washington, DC.
  • Road safety of concern in Sweden and Israel
    January 8, 2015
    Worrying data on road safety has been released from Sweden and Israel. Sweden’s record on road safety is one of the best in the world, with a combination of tough enforcement and stiff penalties along with effective driver education and training having helped lower the country’s fatality rate. However the latest official figures from the Swedish Transport Administration (Trafikverket) show that 275 people were killed on Swedish roads in 2014, compared with 260 people in 2013. This may yet prove to be a stat
  • New international trade crossing linking Canada and US
    June 9, 2015
    The Detroit River is short, only 45km, and narrow in places, less than 1km. Around a quarter of the annual $658 billion Canada-US trade crosses over the river. That’s $160 billion worth of goods trucked each year between Detroit in the US state of Michigan and the Canadian city of Windsor in the province of Ontario - the Windsor-Detroit Corridor. There are several types of crossings, but the vast majority of commercial traffic must use the 2.3km Ambassador Bridge (see box). A new bridge was initially prop
  • Colorado river bridge relieves congestion
    February 7, 2012
    Built in the shadow of the Hoover Dam, a new bridge is set to takes its place as another major tourist attraction. Patrick Smith reports