Partner News: Satellic demonstrates toll collect to National ITS reps

Date: 07 March 2008

ERTICO Partner offers live demo of satellite-based tolling system on Brussels’ streets.

In May 2007, ERTICO – ITS Europe Partner Satellic Traffic Management offered a live and insightful demonstration in Brussels of its satellite-based toll collection system to ERTICO staff members. On 28 February 2008, Satellic offered a second presentation to ERTICO staff as well as representatives of National ITS Associations attending the ERTICO-hosted Network of National ITS Associations meeting held at the ERTICO premises.

The ERTICO team and National ITS representatives were given a demonstration of the toll collect technology on a road network in and around Brussels. The demonstration showed how the automatic toll collection system based on On-Board Units (OBU) and satellite positioning works in Belgium. The method of toll collection is based on a simple principle: the OBU uses satellite signals to pinpoint its current position and calculate the toll fees on the route segments travelled. The data is transmitted via mobile radio signals from the OBU to a computer centre where an invoice is generated and sent to the user at regular intervals. The toll collect system operates on a distance-base principle. Toll rates can be differentiaed according to time and location of the journey. According to Satellic, the new technology also contributes to environmental protection. The emissions class and number vehicle axles can be factored into the pricing.

The same technology used on the demonstration route in Brussels has been deployed by Toll Collect since January 2005 on the entire German motorway network (a total of 12,000 km) where the road toll applies to trucks with a gross vehicle weight of 12 tonnes or more. This, according to Satellic, is the world’s first full-coverage automatic toll system based on GNSS/GSM technologies. The project by Satellic demonstrates how a satellite-based toll system can be quickly and economically implemented in Belgium. One of the key advantages is the fact that the system uses technological solutions that are already in place. The system also offers the interoperability required by the European Union. The same On-Board Unit can be used to collect road tolls in Belgium and Germany.

At the end of the demonstration Satellic prepared an invoice for the distance travelled with a list of the toll route segments used.

For further information or to request a demonstration of your own, please contact Satellic at info@satellic.com

Satellic Director EU Relations Friedemann Kirn explains the demonstration	Toll collect On-Board Unit	Satellic lorries accompany bus demo