Interview: Road User Charging Is Promising, Though Questions Remain, Reports Gabriel Makki of Kapsch TrafficCom

> Gabriel Makki, tolling expert at Kapsch TrafficCom provides insights into road user charging (RUC) and it´s challenges

VIENNA--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The number of vehicles on the roads shows continued growth, while the cost of maintaining road infrastructure is increasing. At the same time, the new environmental protection and sustainability goals are forcing new mobility concepts.

Question: How can tolling still have an impact in this challenging environment?

Gabriel Makki: Traditionally, a toll was introduced as a means to recover the cost of building new road infrastructure and fund its ongoing maintenance. Tolling has also proven to be a powerful tool in shaping traffic to achieve set goals. Among those are for example maintaining throughput and reducing congestion and even emissions. This can be achieved by influencing road user behaviour both on motorways and in urban environments. A toll is in fact very effective in that regard as it inherently affects only those actually using the infrastructure.

Question: What will tolling technology of the future look like?

Gabriel Makki: It is difficult to generalize, because conditions vary between countries. However at the moment, we see that the more forward-looking clients seek to introduce tolling that supports true location and distance-based charging. Their advantage is not only greater flexibility in terms of charging based on actual road used and miles travelled, but they also require less roadside infrastructure. This is worthwhile both for long-term investments and for operating expenses - so it brings CAPEX and OPEX benefits.

Question: How does road user charging fit into all this?

Gabriel Makki: Electric vehicle, or EV, adoption promises increased transportation sustainability. But EVs also pose significant challenges for governments – especially in terms of funding infrastructure projects and maintaining existing road networks. This is because EVs will dramatically reduce revenues from fuel taxes in just a few years. One way that governments can address this growing hole in their budgets is to implement a new funding method known as road user charging, also called RUC. This considers the distance travelled by motorists in their vehicles, as well as the type and emissions status of vehicles, and applies charges accordingly.

FULL INTERVIEW at: https://www.kapsch.net/en/press/releases/ktc-20220901-pr-en

Kapsch TrafficCom continues to innovate in the tolling space: Tolling Transformation (kapsch.net)

About Kapsch TrafficCom
https://www.kapsch.net/en/