First “Multi lane free flow toll” has started operating in Ecuador´s capital Quito – Kapsch TrafficCom reports

QUITO, Ecuador--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The first Multi-Lane Free Flow toll system (MLFF) to operate in Ecuador has just been installed with Kapsch TrafficCom’s technology on one of the main access routes to the country’s capital, Quito. This will improve mobility in the area by allowing electronic toll collection without drivers stopping to make toll payment.

The Guayasamin Tunnel is on a road that connects many suburbs across the city’s north and northeast regions to downtown Quito, besides being one of the main access routes to the airport. This translates into a daily traffic flow of forty thousand vehicles. Allowing access to the tunnel, there used to be a toll plaza operating for many years, which caused long congestions at rush hours, as drivers had the option to stop at the barriers to pay the toll charges.

The plaza has just been replaced with a four-lane bidirectional free flow toll gantry, so now all that drivers need to do is have a TAG associated to their vehicle to pass by without stopping. According to Emilio Rivas, Kapsch’s Vice President for Latin America, “the impact of this change will be very positive for the city, as drivers now travel at constant speed along the road and enjoy less travel time as well as a reduction of vehicles’ emissions in the area. Besides, in the current pandemic situation, a toll system that doesn’t require any contact also reduces the risk of new infections.”

In a partnership with Procelec, a local company with a long tradition in Ecuador in the traffic and transportation sectors, Kapsch TrafficCom was in charge of the supply and installation of the MLFF toll gantry equipment, as well as the operational back office. The back office system has been developed to adapt to Ecuador’s business model and the multiple TAGs existing in its market.

Kapsch’s technology for this project brings innovations such as a reversible gantry, allowing for changes in traffic direction according to traffic demand. This makes it easier to manage traffic flow at rush hours for instance, when most vehicles move at the same direction. Another feature is a mixed technology that enables detectors to read both passive TAGs (stickers) and active tags (transponders).