This invention relates to road use charging apparatus, that is apparatus to enable charges to be made for the use and general movement of vehicles on roads.
Increasing consideration is being given to the possibility of charging vehicle users for the use of vehicles on certain roads or at certain times. A number of proposals for such road charging systems have been made. These include systems requiring the provision of sensors and transducers along the road system whereby charges can be determined for road use by individual vehicles. Some systems involve the use of a meter within the vehicle which is controlled and activated by the transducers located along the road way. Other systems require a transponder mounted in the vehicle whereby a central control system can monitor vehicle movements and charge appropriately.
There are two problems related to the introduction of a road use charging system of the kinds mentioned above. Firstly, the expense of installing the necessary, infrastructure for a fully automated system in a large city for example would be very high. Secondly, there is perceived to be substantial public resistance to the imposition of a fully automated system which could have the effect of providing a record of individual vehicle movements throughout a city. Also, an automated system could give rise to substantial mistrust of the charging process.
Simpler systems have been proposed which could avoid the need for the substantial capital expenditure on infrastructure, but there remain problems of reliability and flexibility of such simple systems as well as satisfactorily control and enforcement.