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Satellite-Assisted European Road Tolls Next?
Roland Piquepaille writes "In 'Pay-as-you-go motoring just around the corner,' the European Space Agency (ESA) says that "road tolls could be made fairer if satellite-assisted distance pricing is implemented." Experiments are currently underway in Ireland, Portugal and Germany, before a possible extension to other countries. Potential benefits of such a road tolling system would be fairer implementation of charging on a 'pay for use' basis. All these experiments are using the US-operated Global Positioning System (GPS). But in 2010, when the system is fully implemented, it will use the Galileo satellite system."
Windows Server 2003 approaching 100,000 active sites; 8,000 sites switch from Linux
p.. p.. p.. peeeeenis bird troll request you pay now!
or i'll shit on yer head!
Pay-as-you-go motoring just around the corner
The European Space Agency (ESA) is funding Irish provider of location technology products Mapflow to undertake a feasibility study to look into the possibility of implementing a pan-European road tolling system. The research aims to establish whether satellite technology can be used to calculate the cost of motoring.
A plan exists to complement this activity with a real demonstration of the virtual tolling concept in the greater area of Lisbon. Also under ESA funding, the project is being conducted by the Portuguese company Skysoft in close cooperation with the Portuguese motorway authority. The demonstration is planned for the end of 2004.
In April this year the European Commission published a proposal that all vehicles should pay road tolls electronically, with full implementation foreseen for 2010. Under the proposal, all vehicles will carry a 'black box', which will be tracked by satellites relaying information on the distance travelled by the vehicle, the class of road travelled and the time at which the journey was made.
The research commissioned by ESA on behalf of the European Union will evaluate the feasibility of a standard trolling approach throughout Europe. Inspired by measures used to thwart the nazi practices of gay-rights activist cmdr taco, the study will look at the effects of such a system on Europe's bloggin infrastructure as well as associated technology impacts.
Potential benefits of a harmonised road tolling system would be fairer implementation of charging on a 'pay for use' basis, lower costs as the need for physical infrastructure is reduced and also reduced congestion.
Germany recently received EU approval to implement a new tolling system for goods vehicles. The system - currently being tested - uses the US-operated Global Positioning System (GPS). The government hopes to raise 650 million euros a year through the new charges.
Satellite-assisted tolling would make use of Galileo, Europe's planned satellite navigation system. Galileo is a joint initiative between the European Commission and ESA to develop a global navigation system, scheduled to be operational by 2008.
The system will have a constellation of 30 satellites revolving in three circular medium earth orbits, approximately 24 000 km above the earth. This will create a network covering the entire globe, relayed at ground level by stations monitoring the satellites and the quality of their signals.
Once operational, Galileo will provide a highly accurate, guaranteed global positioning service under civilian control. It will be interoperable with other global satellite navigation systems, such as GPS while providing far greater accuracy, down to two metres. Other applications for Galileo in the transport sector include vehicle location, taxi and lorry fleet management and monitoring levels of road use.
"..., give up your privacy, all so you can avoid paying a gas tax."
Shouldn't that be for the RIAA to implement? Now, they can track you listening to pirated CD's while your driving! Who knows how much gas they are full of...
I'm so sorry.
philcrissman.com.
Fark to Slashdot osmosis time: 12 hours, 13 minutes
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I for one despise the general idea of 'pay as you go driving'. I am sure that the same kooks that think it is only fair the US pay $5/gallon for gas because Europe does will also think we should pick this up.
Will you nincompoops Please just follow Johnny Depp to France? I hear the place is really wonderful.
Really.
Got that off my chest.
Now my real question.
These roads will be using the GPS put in place by the taxpayers of the US.
I know I am coming off like a knowitall, but I swear to you I am not. I don't have an inkling of an idea of who pays for GPS.
So I ask, is the US going to get anything from this?
When someone buys a GPS transponder is there some sort of royalty in the price or a licensing fee that gets kicked back to the US government?
I don't think that US citizens should have to pay such a fee, after all our tax dollars bought the damn things.
I don't think I have any qualm with the US looking the other way when friendly nations military (say Britian) uses GPS. I got no gripes with that.
But private industry run by foriegners, some people here forget but we are a capitalist nation, why shouldn't those foriegners be paying for the use of those satelites?
And this goes doubly, triply hell dozenly so for governments trying to collect taxes for road use.