Any toll roads that are all toll-by-plate (no transponders)?

[Pink Jazz]

I was wondering, are there any toll roads in the world that are all toll-by-plate, where transponders are not used?  I know that the reason why transponders are usually used in combination with toll-by-plate is due to the higher cost of processing toll-by-plate transactions compared to transponders, however, I wonder if there is anywhere in the world that uses toll-by-plate exclusively.

[briantroutman]

None that I know of–but this gets at a question I've had for a long time.

Any toll road with ETC via transponders must be equipped with cameras connected to a plate recognition system to catch violators–and to serve as a backup in case a transponder fails. But once all of that photo infrastructure is in place, is there truly a need for the transponders? Assuming that road users register their license plates and set up a payment method, how does using a computer that automatically matches OCRed plate numbers to a user database cost more than using another computer that automatically matches transponder numbers to a user database?

Even if the failure rate is higher with plate recognition than with transponders, I'd be hard pressed to imagine that the losses due to that failure rate are high enough to equal the high overhead of the transponders and all of the attendant sensor and networking equipment.

[Pink Jazz]

None that I know of—but this gets at a question I’ve had for a long time.

Any toll road with ETC via transponders must be equipped with cameras connected to a plate recognition system to catch violators—and to serve as a backup in case a transponder fails. But once all of that photo infrastructure is in place, is there truly a need for the transponders? Assuming that road users register their license plates and set up a payment method, how does using a computer that automatically matches OCRed plate numbers to a user database cost more than using another computer that automatically matches transponder numbers to a user database?

Even if the failure rate is higher with plate recognition than with transponders, I’d be hard pressed to imagine that the losses due to that failure rate are high enough to equal the high overhead of the transponders and all of the attendant sensor and networking equipment.

One issue is accounting for all the different styles of license plates we have in the United States, where there may be times where human intervention is required if the OCR fails to read the plate.  It seems that ETC is a more reliable system that requires little to no human intervention, with toll-by-plate being used as a backup.  I have actually heard that most toll-by-plate systems are optimized to read in-state plates, and will generally require human intervention to read an out-of-state plate.

[lordsutch]

The congestion charge in central London is completely toll-by-plate, with no transponders used.

[cpzilliacus]

The congestion charge in central London is completely toll-by-plate, with no transponders used.

The congestion tax in downtown Stockholm, Sweden is also toll-by-plate. 

The initial test "trial run" had been with transponders, but then they decided to just go with plates. 

Gothenburg (Göteborg in Swedish) has a congestion tax in its core area.

You can read more about it (in English) here.

[english si]

The congestion charge in central London is completely toll-by-plate, with no transponders used.

As is the Dartford Crossing Congestion Charge.

The West Link Bridge toll on the M50 in Dublin moved to an ANPR* system in 2008, though offers discounts for those with tags (because the tag company operates the bridge, perhaps**) even though it makes no effort to look for the tag - OK, the tags do other tolls in Ireland and/or some parking.

*Automatic Number Plate Recognition. Used throughout Britain and Ireland for all sorts - traffic data, allowing cars in free-for-x-hours car parks that outstay their welcome to be caught, finding with cars that have no insurance/tax and other law enforcement things, and (occasionally) tolling.
**Dartford gives all its (bespoke and totally defunct) tag users discounted tolls, but that was a transference of the discount that previously existed to the new system and now is available in a different way. West Link is still only gettable with the tag.

[SidS1045]

But once all of that photo infrastructure is in place, is there truly a need for the transponders? Assuming that road users register their license plates and set up a payment method, how does using a computer that automatically matches OCRed plate numbers to a user database cost more than using another computer that automatically matches transponder numbers to a user database?

As a practical matter, having transponders lightens the load on the LPR system, some portion of which (as other posters alluded to) must be done manually.  I believe that's one reason why many transponder-based systems offer their users toll discounts.

The transponder's response code is directly tied to the user's account and does not need to detour through any other system to bill the toll.  A license plate that the LPR system can't read has to be detoured to an employee's computer for recognition and data entry.  That takes extra time and, of course, money.

I haven't seen any figures on the reliability of LPR systems, but I do know that the upcoming conversion to AET on the Massachusetts Turnpike will NOT result in the mass firing of toll-takers, because some of them will be retrained to handle manual data entry in the LPR system.

[jeffandnicole]

Also, license plate only readers trace back to the owner of the vehicle, not the driver.  Not a big deal if you are driving your own vehicle.  A minor deal if you lent the car out to a friend or relative.

But...if you lease a car, you're not the owner.  The lessee is.  They will get the bill then come after you for payment.  And they're not going to do that without a charge, since their manpower was involved to figure out who owns the car with tag # ABC-123.

If you rent a car, you're not the owner.  The rental company is going to have to figure out who was renting the car at the time of the toll.  And they're not going to do that without charging you as well.

Depending on how such a system is set up, the toll-by-plate agency will invoice you for each toll, for a day's worth of tolls, or for a periods' worth of tolls.  It gets expensive, because they have to bill you, and hope you send the payment back within a reasonable amount of time.  Under a transponder program, the tolls are actually paid for in advance, and as the vehicle goes thru the toll lanes, the toll amount is deducted from your balance.


So as pointed out above, there are cases where toll-by-plate is exclusively used.  But there's a number of drawbacks to such a system as well.

[TheHighwayMan3561]

If you rent a car, you're not the owner.  The rental company is going to have to figure out who was renting the car at the time of the toll.  And they're not going to do that without charging you as well.

One of the reasons I frown on all-electronic tolling; yes, I can just avoid the road but driving a rental becomes more of a pain in the ass when rental companies often will want reimbursement both for the toll and for the time it took to figure out that you were driving (which in my view is understandable).

[AlexandriaVA]

How is it any different than if you get a parking ticket with a rental car (ticket is charged to the car, not the driver)?

[vdeane]

But...if you lease a car, you're not the owner.  The lessee is.  They will get the bill then come after you for payment.  And they're not going to do that without a charge, since their manpower was involved to figure out who owns the car with tag # ABC-123.

At least in NY, that's not quite true.  There's a distinction between between who the registered owner of the car is, who has the licence plates, etc. and who holds the actual title to the car.  My car, for example, is leased.  The car is registered in my name and we transferred the plates from my previous car.  I do not, however, hold the title for it - the dealer does.

[lordsutch]

One of the reasons I frown on all-electronic tolling; yes, I can just avoid the road but driving a rental becomes more of a pain in the ass when rental companies often will want reimbursement both for the toll and for the time it took to figure out that you were driving (which in my view is understandable).

Easily worked around with Florida's SunPass, which lets you put rental cars on your account without a transponder at no extra charge. It's a shame other toll agencies haven't followed suit. Perhaps the competitive pressure from the national interoperability mandate will make the E-ZPass members and others do so so they don't lose their customers to more driver-friendly agencies like SunPass.

[vdeane]

Transponder discounts muddy the waters there - many agencies only give the discount to their own transponder, especially within the IAG.  Everyone else pays the cash/toll by plate rate even if they have a transponder.  I imagine this will be especially an issue in the early days of interoperability when toll agencies still won't have the equipment necessary to read other transponders and will be relying exclusively on toll by plate.

[UCFKnights]

Transponder discounts muddy the waters there - many agencies only give the discount to their own transponder, especially within the IAG.  Everyone else pays the cash/toll by plate rate even if they have a transponder.  I imagine this will be especially an issue in the early days of interoperability when toll agencies still won't have the equipment necessary to read other transponders and will be relying exclusively on toll by plate.

E-Pass in Central Florida has a quantity discount on the Beltway toll roads, and is compatible with Sunpass (as are all Florida toll systems). E-Pass users get the Sunpass discounts as well, but Sunpass users do not get the E-Pass quantity discounts. (The discounts are in the form of future statement credits that can be up to 60 days after you passed through the toll which Sunpass doesn't seem to do)

[Sykotyk]

If we ever get to one standard transponder, they could simply be built into the car. This might set up 'police-state concerns', but that really could happen right now with the current transponders.

Buy or rent a car, get the ID #, register it to your name, and then it debits your toll account (or set up a pre-pay or temporary account). Borrow a car? Temporarily assume the charges onto your account, etc.

Where an in-car transponder installed could work for purchasing gas, as well. Drive up to the pump, registers your signal, hop out, enter a pin, and you get gas. No need for debit/credit theft purchasing gas. Could be used for parking, etc.

Instead of a third party, it would just be part of the car. With the plan for cars to 'talk to eachother' using that signal in other ways seems to make sense.