Global Positioning System Reference
In-Depth Information
time. Therefore, when a route is requested it is predictive data that is used to
calculate the route. Clearly, there is scope to add value to the historic data and to
charge for this enhancement.
4.2.6
Combining the Data
A major challenge would be to find ways to combine all these data sets,
particularly if they are all controlled by different agencies in different places. A
computer model is needed to continuously produce link impedances for several
time horizons. It may also be possible in the coming years to make more progress
using the methodology of the Semantic Web to collect fragments of relevant
information from a variety of sources.
4.3
Auto Payment Systems
Road user charging (sometimes called road tolling, road pricing, or congestion
charging) and pay-as-you-drive insurance are both examples of automatic
applications that involve the collection of charges. Accounting can be by distance
driven, time of day, type or class of road, and can include details of actual road
links traversed. A national or international system could provide the platform for
most other ITS applications and a good number of more general LBS applications
as well. There are many niche approaches at present, including using microwave
tags and video surveillance. The latter is often needed in addition to help with
enforcement. To overcome the split between public and private applications, a
public-private partnership may be possible (which is common in other
infrastructure projects in some administrations).
Markets will thus span many sectors, including local and city authorities,
national governments, insurance companies, and other ITS providers, and may
include additional value-added services, such as dynamic route guidance.
The benefits are that it is the most flexible of all methods of transportation
taxation and also for insurance premium collection. Automation will minimize
manual overheads. It could be linked to dynamic speed limits and their
enforcement, but this could be a serious barrier to public acceptance, which is
likely to be problem, in common with any new tax. Green awareness might,
however, mitigate since the extreme flexibility of pricing is likely to be the most
effective and fair way to reduce unnecessary emissions.
Other benefits are a potential modest increase in road throughput efficiency if
linked to a route guidance regime. It could be used to counter crime and terrorism
but there could be resistance to this also.
Weaknesses include a relatively high cost of in-vehicle equipment, radio
coverage, and interference issues. Failure problems may be an issue for a national
government system so a multimodal positioning technology approach may be
needed.
