Automatic fee collection on German autobahns-the ChipTicket system

The German Federal Ministry of Transport is conducting a large-scale automatic fee collection experiment on German motorways. It has been taking place since June 1993 and will extend until mid 1995. The A555 Cologne-Bonn motorway is the test route. The companies of Siemens AG, ITF Intertraffic (a subsidiary of Daimler Bent AG) and Siemens are participating as the Siemens SNI project group. The ChipTicket system, which was conceived for the requirements prevailing on German and structurally similar European motorways, is presented. Up to now, the project involving equipping Germany's complete wide-ranging motorway network with a fully automatic toll metering system has found no parallels. Existing, smaller-scale toll systems only offer automatic fee collection as an addition to the manual methods of payment and on a voluntary basis. For German motorways, the only system that can be considered is one that does not obstruct the flow of traffic, i.e. a system without pay station booths, barriers, lane constrictions and other restrictions. All payment transactions must take place automatically and must be capable of being monitored without affecting drivers' privacy. A system that creates the "transparent human" or a system that can be circumvented easily and without consequence is destined to fail. These two stipulations substantially characterize the ChipTicket system design.<
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