The Goldilocks Dilemma

This article describes road user charging via on-board units (OBU) in terms of being either ‘thick’ or ‘thin.’ The ‘thin’ approach to payment systems takes vehicle positioning through a Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) and forwards the information to a control center where noise and multipath data are cleared and a toll is assessed. While processing is expensive in this ‘thin’ approach, the OBU in the vehicle need not be sophisticated. The ‘thick’ approach shifts more emphasis on vehicle spatial quantification to the OBU. While both systems are expensive, the difference is in where the expenses are found. In the ‘thin’ system the processing is costly but the units less so and vice versa for the ‘thick’ system. The author proposes a third method that is called an ‘agile’ solution, where the best of each system is employed. A comparison is provided on the following points: data storage expense, communications expense, OBU expense, and enforcement expense. The author advocates this method for the deployment of distance-based charging in 2008 or 2009.

• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/oclc/32663949
• Authors:
  • Hassan, Kamal
• Publication Date: 2007-8

Language

• English

Media Info

• Media Type: Print
• Features: Figures; Photos;
• Pagination: pp 101-103
• Serial:
  • Traffic Technology International
  • Volume: 2007
  • Issue Number: 8
  • Publisher: AutoIntermediates Limited
  • ISSN: 1356-9252
  • Serial URL: http://www.ukipme.com/mag_traffic.htm

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Road pricing; Toll collection; Tolls; User charges
• Identifier Terms: Global Navigation Satellite System
• Subject Areas: Administration and Management; Finance; Highways; I10: Economics and Administration;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01077097
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: UC Berkeley Transportation Library
• Files: BTRIS, TRIS
• Created Date: Sep 28 2007 8:55AM