Local Transport Plans Conference Cambridge 18 Nov 98

1
Road Charging InteroperabilityThe European
Dimension Eric Sampson Head of Vehicle
Technology Standards Department for Transport
2
Some History

• Road charging systems in Europe
• Traditionally piecemeal procurements to support
  concessions or private toll facilities
• Interoperability not a concern commercial
  expediency, parochialism, etc preferred
• Variety of systems interoperability only at Toll
  Plazas delivered through cash

3
Some More History

• The situation began to change
• Development of international standards for
  microwave charging in CEN
• Supplier initiatives like the GSS collaboration
  between OBU manufacturers
• Operators recognised interoperability
• Was welcomed by users
• Cut costs
• Provided synergies and benefits (revenues up !)
• Commission launched CARDME

4
An Example France

• 11 separate tolling organisations
• Different charging systems hampered users moving
  between them
• TIS system developed (now Liber-T) so any
  registered user only needs
• one contract
• one OBU

but gets a single bill for all charged travel in
France for each billing period
5
The European Commission 1

• EU aim of free movement of goods traffic
  increasingly frustrated by
• Slow progress on Standards development
• Patchwork of technical solutions
• Lack of true interoperability
• Began consultations in 2002 about idea of
  Interoperability Directive

6
The European Commission 2

• Commission published the Draft Directive in April
  2003
• Received General Approach in the December
  Transport Council
• Directive completed first reading in the European
  Parliament in December
• Agreement likely prior to the EP Elections this
  year

7
Directives Aims

• A European Electronic Toll Service that will
  require all operators covered by the scope of the
  Directive to
• offer the service for hauliers or coach operators
  who might want it
• one contract for hauliers/coach operators
• supply an OBU that is interoperable with all
  schemes within the Directive
• one bill per period for all international
  travel within the Community

8
Directives Provisions

• A Regulatory Committee (Comité Télépéage) chaired
  by the Commission involving Member States (QMV)
  and other bodies (non-voting)
• Key task - determine when the technical,
  operational and commercial (contractual)
  conditions are right to establish EETS
• Targets decision 2006
• implementation from 2009

9
Other Actions

• Much to be done to allow the Committee to agree
  the decision
• Some studies / projects underway or being
  commissioned
• ISO 17575
• VERA 2
• Euro-regional projects

• FP6 call
• Alpine study
• CESARE 3

10
The Eurovignette Directive 1

• Directive aims to define charging process
• which vehicles (expected to be vehicles of 3.5
  Tonnes and over)
• where (all or part of the Trans European Network
  in Member States, and other roads defined by
  Member States under subsidiarity principles)
• how much and on what basis (eg recovering the
  costs of infrastructure provision and
  maintenance, cost of accidents, externalities
  like congestion and environmental factors etc)
• provisions for certain vehicle exemptions

11
The Eurovignette Directive 2

• Status of the draft
• Wording still being discussed in Council Working
  Groups
• European Parliament proposes 200 amendments
• E Parliament to vote on amendments in Committee
  on 17 March in preparation for Plenary
• Council debate - some MSs favour a flexible
  approach to the specification of charges and the
  inclusion of charges for externalities (UK,
  France, Germany ) others want very specific
  definition of the charging mechanism and a cap on
  applicable charges (Spain and the Netherlands)
• The way ahead is currently unclear

12
The UK Scene

• Customs and Excise implementing Lorry Road User
  Charging (LRUC) Scheme
• DfT Feasibility Study into RUC options
• DfTs DIRECTS research programme
• early part (GPS) undertaken in Bristol as part of
  PRoGrSS (reported yesterday)
• main programme in Leeds later this year

13
DIRECTS

• Key deliverable - specifications for RUC systems
  comprising
• Volume 1 - Functional and performance
  requirements for systems and services for RUC
  (including UK context, Business Models
  Processes, Security, Privacy requirements etc)
• Volume 2 - Interface Specifications
• Volume 3 - Charging Application specification for
  off-board charging using DSRC
• Drafts for Discussion later this year, Vol 3 in
  Spring

14
Too ambitious / complex / fast ?
15
No - it only needs some organisation
16
Contact Information

• Eric Sampson
• Telephone [phone]
• Fax [phone]
• Email eric.sampson_at_dft.gsi.gov.uk