The toll system calculates and collects the fees based on the distance travelled - in contrast to how vignettes work. The system also guarantees that the flow of traffic is not impeded during toll collection. Unlike most conventional systems, Toll Collect does not require vehicles to reduce their speed, stop or stay within prescribed lanes.
As a dual system, the toll system also provides two ways to log on: automatic log-on via the on-board unit and manual log-on via the app, online or at the toll terminal.
The automatic log-on system is based on an innovative combination of mobile radio technology (GSM) and a GPS satellite positioning system (Global Positioning System). The core element of the automatic log-on is an On-Board Unit (OBU), which determines the position of the truck and the distance it has travelled using satellite signals and other positioning sensors. The OBU sends this journey data and vehicle-specific characteristics to the computing centre, with a time delay and under encryption. As a result, the journey data is not allocated to the toll route network until it arrives at the Toll Collect computing centre. Once this is done, the toll for the roads subject to toll is calculated in the computing centre based on the vehicle-specific characteristics.
Alternatively, Toll Collect also offers a manual log-on option, which can be used via the app, online or at a toll terminal. This works in a similar way to buying a train ticket. The driver enters all the relevant vehicle data, and sets the start date, start point and destination of the journey. Based on the data entered by the driver, the route calculation takes into consideration vehicle-specific traffic restrictions, such as closures and weight restrictions.
