- EToll
eToll is a
National Roads Authority run interoperability system allowing cashless payment on all of Ireland'stoll road s. Based on an RFID tag attached to the windscreen of a participating vehicle, it allows drivers to travel on the tolled sections of them M1, M4/M6, M8 and M50 as well as the East Link andDublin Port Tunnel without having to present cash at toll booths.Prior to its introduction, some operators had their own incompatible schemes specific to their own road sections; however currently all 5 toll road operators are issuing eToll tags, as well as one private firm who do not operate any toll roads (but are subcontracted to provide branded tags for one operator, as well as their own).
Costs are charged to tags at the same rate as cash prices for the same class of vehicle, and purchase/administrative fees for tags vary by tag issuer. Some tags also operate for other cashless systems, such as car parks, but this also varies by issuer.
The NRA has launched a fee comparison website, [http://www.tagcompare.ie tagcompare.ie]
The M50 motorway has moved to "barrier free" tolling, and the use of an eToll tag is required to use the motorway at its lowest price. The
eFlow system was introduced on the motorway on 30 August 2008 and is operated by a French consortium, BetEire Flow.In 2007 the NRA awarded BetEire Flow the contract to construct and operate the barrier-free tolling system.
The BetEire Flow consortium comprises the French toll operator Sanef and CS, a French systems designer, supplier and integrator.
eFlow uses overhead cameras and detectors to record motorists' electronic tags or vehicle number plates. The technology involves two sets of gantries over the motorway. The first gantry detects the vehicle, and the second has antennae and cameras to read the tags and number plates.The system has led to the removal of the toll booths that caused notoriously long queues. Drivers are now able to pass through the toll point at normal driving speed.
External links
* [http://www.nra.ie/News/eToll/ NRA eToll]
* [http://eflow.ie eFlow website - "barrier free" tolling system on the M50]
* [http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/motors/2008/0709/1215380443695.html Getting to grips with toll tags - IrishTimes.com]
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