Electronic Toll Management Payment Scheme based on Vehicular Ad-hoc Networks and Cardano's Blockchain Platform

Vehicular ad-hoc networks (VANETs) are based on the interconnections between vehicles and roadside units (RSUs) and are considered as an important aspect in the field of intelligent transportation systems (ITSs). The efficiency of VANETs can be enhanced by the blockchain technology, a trustless infrastructure which guarantees faster and cheaper transactions. The reduction of toll queues and, by extension, the emissions, while at the same time improving the level of payment services, especially during peak days and times, is of crucial importance. Following this trend, the aim of the present study is the development of a unified electronic toll management payment scheme according to three main pillars (perception, network and application), which includes an android based application, cloud server, database, cardano-based blockchain platform, and well established protocols, making the communication between those systems efficient. The aforementioned scheme saves drivers time, whereas the toll payments become easier and more relaxing for every driver.