Enforcement Solutions -- Future Possibilities in Complex Tolling Systems

Modern Toll Systems as considered in the European Directive on Interoperability of Toll Systems shall not introduce obstacles to traffic. This means that the toll collection shall be performed in a free flow environment without the need for vehicles to stop. The best method to do this is in a free flow situation where vehicles are not bound to a specific lane and can travel at any speed permitted. The same applies for the general enforcement procedure. Tolling and enforcement have to be non-discriminating for all users. This is a heavy task when designing a toll system. Especially in Case of nation-wide toll systems the complexity of the enforcement can produce a number of difficulties and thus reduce the total income of a system. This paper reports an analysis of necessities for full, equal and reliable enforcement in multi lane free flow toll systems. In general Toll Regulations specify how parameters or properties of vehicles define the tariff structure. Any property that defines whether a vehicle is subject to toll and determines the respective tariff must be verifiable. Existing tolling systems therefore currently use rather simple and effective distinctions to define liability to certain toll tariffs.