Introduction: Toll Management System is a part of Electronic Tolling System and Traffic Management (ETTM). Such systems help in uninterrupted toll collections and traffic monitoring. A toll management system comprises of GPS module communication, vehicle classification sensors, transponders and a completely computerized system to collect tolls and help in traffic management and vehicle data collection.
Features of Toll Management Systems:
Modern Toll Management Solutions have the following features:
- Automatic barrier gates: Also called boom barrier these are quick, secure and more accurate or operations, and have a closing time of 0.6s to 1.5 s according to client needs. Its features are:
- Intelligent controller for instant response
- Reverse on obstacle detection
- Also comes with breakaway arm mechanism
- Cataphoresis treated
- Epoxy painted
- Unique design
- ETMS Controller: This transmits data and information of the activities of all lanes to the central Toll Management Systems (TMS) and receives other information from the TMS. Its features are:
- Pay station with touch panel LCD display
- Less amount of workload on operators
- Core component of lane system
- Interconnection and controlling of all lane component peripherals
- Automatic Vehicle Classification: Automatic vehicle classification is all about determining vehicle height, number of axles, presence of dual tires and vehicle weight to classify the vehicles to determine their toll rates. Its features are:
- Protection against sunlight and rain
- Range of 12m and beam spacing of 30mm/60mm
- Number of occupants in a vehicle is also judged for classification
- Automatic Vehicle Identification: This is used to identify and mark vehicles to charge tolls. The features are:
- Communication through radio waves
- RFID tags to store information, which are dynamic in nature so that information can be deleted and added anytime
- Reading multiple tags at once
- Records all information regarding amount of toll paid by a vehicle and the date, time and plaza of toll payment
- Entire process gets completed in seconds
- Vehicle weight: The toll management systems come with Weight In Motion (WIM) systems to measure vehicle axle and gross weights to impose tolls on vehicles based on certain criteria on weights.
- Central Toll Server: It is a three-tier secured system to help act in terms of emergency, help it perform accurately and integrate it with third party systems. Its features are:
- High-quality server platform
- RAID technology
- Updated software support, like MS Windows
- Communication with work station through internet access and LAN
- Coordination with several other work stations if needed
- Camera: The entire system also comes with high resolution image capturing camera to capture predefined events by the operator.
- License plate capturing camera: This is another high quality camera to capture images of license plates of vehicles when they are arriving at or leaving the toll plaza. A processing unit with this camera stores the images as well.
- Lane status display: To display lane status- a green arrow means lane is open and clear, while a red cross indicates a closed lane.
- Traffic light: It’s both way red and green signal integrated with the boom barrier, red for stop and green for movement of vehicles through the barrier.
- Toll intercom system: To help the lane operators in maintaining proper lane functioning. There is a slave intercom at the lanes and the master intercom at the control room.
- Overhead lane display: Multi-coloured LED matrix at the top of all lanes to display imformation regarding lane functioning, toll rates, etc.
