When introducing the system, decision-makers must be guided by the interests of users, i.e., truck drivers and transport company owners. In the opinion of most market participants, the choice of technology should be determined by: the price of the on-board unit, the costs of its use, ease of installation, and simplicity of operation. The e-toll system allows for more effective enforcement of road tolls and management of transit traffic on motorways and expressways. Unlike the vignette system, where flat-rate fees are charged, costs are incurred based on the actual number of kilometers traveled. Therefore, the benefits to the state budget are also significant. Decision-makers should therefore choose a cheaper investment that will pay for itself faster and generate higher revenues. In the opinion of experts, the technology that meets the above criteria is DSRC (Dedicated Short-Range Communications) technology, based on microwave communication. According to Austrian experience, the operating costs of the e-toll system consume about 10 percent of annual revenue. This is 5 percent less than what European Union regulations allow. In the Czech Republic, the investment in e-tolls paid for itself after just 7 months. Of the two offers qualified for the final phase of the e-toll tender in Poland, the offer for the microwave system is 20 percent cheaper. The e-toll system based on microwave technology is already operating in most European countries. A satellite system operates in Slovakia, but Polish drivers complain about the Slovak system, where frequent police checks and problems with device operation make it difficult to travel on those roads. They do, however, praise the Czech and Austrian solutions, which are already used by 150,000 Polish truck drivers.
For more information, please contact Dr. Tomasz Teluk, President of the Globalization Institute.
e-mail: instytut@globalizacja.org