- Free Flow
The "Free Flow" system (also known as Televía or TAG in Spanish-speaking countries), is an electronic deposit system used to pay for the passage of
automobile s ontoll road s. With TAG, cars need not stop nor even slow down for payment.Features
The TAG system is no larger that a
wallet and is extremely light. It is normally placed behind the rearview mirror of the car, but can also be installed in a more visible location on the windshield. With the electromagnetic system, the payment is made more easily and more rapid transit is possible.This
wireless system is at the vanguard of smart payment in tollways, especially in countries with appreciable economic power. Countries likeArgentina ,Australia ,Canada ,Chile , andIsrael , among others, employ it in their highway systems both urban and rural.Chile was the world's first country to run all payments through a single TAG system. Presently they are used in four of the highways ofSantiago de Chile , and some other highways currently under construction are set to employ it.Free Flow payment system
The procedure for the colleciton of the toll is performed by installing "collection booths," which are no more than a frame erected over the path of the highway, with an electronic sensor suspended over each lane accompanied by cameras. As the automobile nears the frame, the cameras snap a picture of the
license plate , the individual driver's TAG is detected by the sensor, and the payment is processed in a fraction of a second. At the moment the payment is processed, the TAG generates a characteristic whistle-like sound. The sound indicates that the transaction was successful and the toll has been charged; if the TAG is silent, the transaction did not occur and a ticket will be sent to the violator.See also
*
Electronic toll collection
*Red de Autopistas de Santiago de Chile
** Autopista Costanera NorteExternal links
* [http://copsa.cl/intsc.php?idc=5 COPSA; Concesiones Viales Urbanas]
* [http://www.autopistacentral.cl Autopista Central]
* [http://www.cnorte.cl/web.htm Costanera Norte]
* [http://www.vespucioexpress.cl Vespucio Norte Express]
* [http://www.vespuciosur.cl Autopista Vespucio Sur]"This article draws heavily on the corresponding article in the Spanish-language Wikipedia which was accessed in the version of 29 November 2005."
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