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Doubts remain over toll-collection systems

Vice Minister of Transportation and Communications Chang Chia-chu, left, and Department of Railways and Highways director Lee Lung-wen, right, attend a hearing on the national freeway system's automatic toll-collection scheme yesterday. PHOTO: FANG PIN-CHAO, TAIPEI TIMES

Just one week before the government is due to sign a contract for the construction of an electronic toll collection (ETC) system, doubts over the operator's choice of technology and additional costs remain.

Described as the world's largest BOT (build, operate, transfer) project because of the business opportunities it is credited with generating, the ETC project was awarded in February to the Far Eastern Electronic Toll Collection Co, a joint venture headed by FarEastone Telecommunications Co and Austria's Efkon AG.

Far Eastern plans to implement the ETC system using infrared technology and a satellite-based vehicle positioning system (VPS).

The use of both technologies and the tests conducted to assess Far Eastern's system were the focus of criticism yesterday during a public hearing ahead of next Wednesday's signing ceremony.

"I cannot understand how the government could allow the operator to decide on the format of the test," said Jason Chang (張學孔), professor of transportation systems at National Taiwan University.

The preliminary tests, completed early last week, focused only on the efficiency and accuracy of the infrared technology in single-lane toll collection.

Under the single-lane toll collection configuration, transactions can only be processed as vehicles pass through sensor mechanisms installed on individual lanes. Multi-lane, free-flow toll collection, however, processes transactions as vehicles pass under gantries that stretch the width of the road, thereby posing no restrictions on vehicle movement.

"With manned toll booths, about 900 cars can pass through the toll plaza every hour. With single-lane ETC, only 1,200 cars can pass through each hour -- not that much more than using toll collectors. Multi-lane, free-flow toll collection is a must," Chang said.

Taiwan Area National Freeway Bureau head Lian Yueh (梁樾) said that the preliminary tests were only the first phase of the testing process.

"The reason why Germany's ETC system failed was because they tried to implement everything at the same time. We're implementing the ETC system step by step," Lian said.

Single-lane infrared toll collection will be introduced in February 2006. Testing of the VPS system will begin in September 2008, and the entire system is expected to be in operation by July 2010.

Lian added that VPS would most likely be used by businesses using fleets such as taxi and car-rental companies.

However, lawmakers charged that the implementation of VPS in five years' time would result in additional costs for the government and taxpayers.

"The average citizen will not care what technology you use, but if the project incurs additional costs, it comes down on the heads of taxpayers," People First Party Legislator Lee Hung-chun (李鴻鈞) said.

An anonymous source yesterday charged via a written statement that Far Eastern had won the bid because it shaved costs by neglecting to report to the government the expenses that the VPS system would incur.

The statement said the VPS system would require another NT$20 billion to build, while VPS on-board units (OBUs) would require another NT$100 billion.

Vice Minister of Transportation and Communications Chang Chia-chu (張家祝) responded to this accusation by saying that the contract ensured the government would not be responsible for any unexpected costs.

Far Eastern also said that bid requirements clearly stated that the number of drivers participating in the ETC system must increase each year. Consequently, it said, OBUs could not possibly be sold at excessive prices to make up for the cost of the VPS system.
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