Technology Options for Distance-Based Road User Charging Schemes

Road user charging schemes have great potential to reduce congestion and negative environmental effects. Moreover, implemented schemes are viewed as successful. Nevertheless, only a few road user charging schemes have been implemented worldwide, and they are all limited in nature. Currently, several countries are planning to implement road user charging schemes that are more ambitious in terms of geographical scale (nationwide), scope (all vehicle types) and level of differentiation (to distance, time and place). However, implementation is a cumbersome process. The technology choice is moreover a key barrier in this process, owing to the complexity of the task: technology options for road use measurement, data communication, and enforcement and inspection. To facilitate technology choices and contribute to the literature on road user charging technologies, this paper 1) describes the functional architecture, including the road user charging scheme subsystems; 2) classifies the available technologies and updates a survey of the (rapidly developing) technologies; 3) gives a comprehensive overview of appraisal criteria for technology choices; and 4) discusses the main technology-related trade-offs and synergies in terms of the functional architecture. The optimal technology option is a package of technologies that should be selected from a systems perspective, including all functional requirements, objectives, trade-offs (e.g. accurateness versus cost components) and synergies (e.g. technologies using the same infrastructure), and be flexible enough to cope with future adaptations.