T-Systems, together with the Grenoble-based electronics and automation company GEA, has won the contract to set up and operate a satellite-based system for truck tolling on the north-south axis in Alsace, France.

The client for the new kilometre-based eco-tax for vehicles weighing 3.5 tons or more is the administration of the Alsace region, the European Community of Alsace (Collectivité Européenne d’Alsace, CEA). The contract has a term of eight and a half years with an option to extend for three more years.

Truck drivers use their existing EETS on-board units (OBU) to pay the road toll. The payment system can be seamlessly integrated into the standard technology of the European Electronic Toll Service (EETS) providers. With the EETS providers’ OBUs, trucks can continue their journey without interruption and benefit from a standardised method throughout Europe. Non-registered trucks have the option of purchasing an e-ticket online.

R-Pass Opérateur, based in Strasbourg, was founded to operate the system. T-Systems owns 85 per cent and Grenobloise d’Electronique et d’Automatismes (GEA) 15 per cent.

T-Systems is responsible for the end-to-end provision of the system. This includes the satellite-based recognition of position data, the allocation of movement data to the toll domains of the reference map, the generation of toll data through to invoicing, and customer service and contract management. GEA operates control bridges and mobile control points.

“We are very happy to have been awarded the contract for this innovative project,” said Christoph Ahrendt, member of the T-Systems management board responsible for the toll business. “With our satellite-based, modular toll platform, we are setting technological standards in Europe. Thanks to its flexibility, new toll areas such as Alsace can be expanded seamlessly and efficiently. This order confirms our growth strategy and shows that Europe’s cutting-edge technology can compete internationally.”

The flexible architecture of the reference maps ensures new toll areas can be added digitally easily, whether individual objects such as tunnels or entire regions. The tolling platform has a versatile API interface for integration with other systems. Individual modules can be easily added to existing business processes of toll service providers and third-party providers.

The object of T-Systems Road User Services (www.t-systems.com/de/en/industries/public-sector/intelligent-toll-systems) is the international distribution of toll systems as well as the establishment and management of international toll operating companies for the collection of fees for the use of roads by motor vehicles of all kinds. The company undertakes the planning, development, construction and operation of these systems for collecting tolls on roads or other objects authorised for traffic. The company also provides telematic value-added services for its customers in areas such as parking, traffic management, logistics services and big data.

Established in 1971, GEA (www.gea.fr) specialises in toll collection systems. More than 90 per cent of the toll lanes across France are equipped with GEA electronic toll collection systems. Over 28,000 toll lanes with GEA technology are in use globally. GEA offers a range of services from design and development, production and integration to the installation and maintenance of toll systems.