Kapsch
Press releases

New tolling system will save 30,000 tons of CO 2 per year on A13 and A14 highways “No more waiting in line for toll plazas,” says Quentin Houet of Kapsch   TrafficCom Vienna/Paris, November   22, 2022   – On September   22, Kapsch TrafficCom was awarded with the delivery of free flow gantries including hardware supply and related software by French highway concessionaire SAPN. The system will make traffic more fluid (especially during weekends and days of heavy traffic conditions), reduce emissions and improve the attractiveness of the territories of Île-de-France and Normandy. It is being installed along 250km of the A13 and A14 highways, a heavily frequented highway route in France. It will be located between capital city Paris and the city of Caen in Normandy. “Drivers will no longer have to slow down or wait at the tolling plaza, but will be able to enjoy the road freely and without tolling interruptions, as payments may be conducted automatically or afterwards,” comments Quentin Houet, Area Sales Manager at Kapsch TrafficCom. “With the system, to which Kapsch TrafficCom is supplying part of the central building blocks, 30,000 tons of CO 2 will be saved per year.” Kapsch TrafficCom is delivering a complete set of gantries as well as the interfaces with central SAPN systems. The contract also contains optional maintenance services. The project, based on technology that Kapsch TrafficCom has successfully deployed in many countries around the globe, involves replacing existing tolling pazas with gantries able to detect, identify and classify vehicles and calculate the corresponding toll fee automatically. “This project is a major stepping stone in the migration from traditional plaza tolling towards free flow systems for a cleaner mobility and a seamless driving experience for the people using the A13 and A14 highways,” concludes Quentin Houet. Delivery is set to start immediately, while first parts of the new system are expected to become operational in the second half of 2023 to allow a free flow go-live in the course of 2024. This new solution will be implemented with limited impact over the ongoing traffic. If you want to find out more about how the tolling technology of Kapsch TrafficCom can make a difference for sustainable mobility, visit Tolling   Transformation .

Vienna/Oslo, November   14, 2022   – Pilot project of Kapsch TrafficCom and Aventi Intelligent Communication enables a completely new type of tolling for passenger cars. Austrian mobility company Kapsch TrafficCom and its partner Aventi Intelligent Communication have conducted a pilot project in Norway where they tested the tolling technology of the future. The target of the project (conducted during the summer months) was to find out how fee collection for passenger cars is possible based on the vehicle type, its emissions class and the kilometers driven. The background to this is the rapid decline in vehicle-related tax revenues, particularly due to the high proportion of electric vehicles in Norway – a problem that more and more countries will face in the coming years. The project serves as input to “concept selection study” that was conducted by Norwegian authorities regarding the principles of determining and collecting future road user charges and tolls. “In total, more than two million kilometers of trips, or about 50 laps around the earth, were analyzed. The system was able to handle the challenging environments of the Norwegian road network, matching routes and calculating rates with an accuracy level  above 99%” , comments Alfredo Escriba, Chief Technical Officer at Kapsch TrafficCom. Fair and user-friendly system On the one hand road user charging can compensate for the loss of tax revenue by governments, and on the other hand it offers a fair and transparent charging system for road users. While this type of charging is already established for trucks, the tested system could for the first time offer a practicable and user-friendly instrument for passenger cars as well.   If you want to learn more about how other countries continue to innovate in the tolling space, visit Tolling Transformation .

A company through the ages   Vienna, October   31, 2022   – Kapsch celebrates its 130 th company anniversary at the end of October. The technology company, now in its fourth generation of family management, can look back on a long and eventful history. Innovative from the Go The history of Kapsch began on October 31, 1892 in Schottenfeldgasse in Vienna's seventh district, where the great-great-grandfather of the current CEO Georg Kapsch, Johann Kapsch, opened a precision mechanics workshop with 18 employees. From the very beginning, the company focuses on innovation and development – with success. The decision to build telephones and telegraphs turns out to be spot on, with orders coming in from all parts of the Austro-Hungarian monarchy and even from other countries. "The company had the foresight at the time to recognize telephony as an emerging technology on the one hand, and to position itself successfully in this rapidly growing market on the other," explains Georg Kapsch, CEO of Kapsch TrafficCom. For example, the company developed its first "mobile" telephone, which used a long cable and a carrying ring to enable the device to be moved around the room during the call. "On the other hand, a little later, in the 1920s, radio technology was used as a second mainstay. So even then, you could see that the company was characterized by innovation and progress," says Georg Kapsch. The company's entry into the radio business is one of the biggest coups in its history. In the following years, Kapsch establishes itself as one of the leading technical providers on the market, and despite the difficult economic situation, revenues and the number of employees increase. Years of Growth A challenging period in the late 1960s leads to a stronger focus on telecommunications; radio, television and battery production are discontinued in the mid-1980s, and instead the company focuses early on digitization and the development of fixed-line and communications networks. "I can well remember how there was a spirit of optimism in the company at that time," reports Georg Kapsch. "Among other things, our own printed circuit board production was installed in 1979. Today, production is highly automated and largely supplies products for toll and traffic management applications." With the arrival of Georg Kapsch in 1982 and his appointment to the Executive Board in 1992, the company opens a new chapter – coinciding with its 100 th anniversary. Several major international projects and the establishment of subsidiaries in multiple countries mark the step towards becoming a modern, global and self-confident industrial company that exceeds the three-billion-ATS sales mark. The rapid technological developments in the communications industry prompt Kapsch to focus fully on the business areas of public networks, private networks and traffic control systems, and the 1990s also bring record sales and well-filled order books. New Millennium, New Challenges It was not until the IT crisis of the 2000s and the completion of the digitalization of the Austrian telecommunications network that the company's soaring success was briefly halted, leading to the regrouping into Kapsch TrafficCom, CarrierCom and BusinessCom under the parent company Kapsch Group. The order for the truck toll in Austria in June 2002 proves to be a catalyst. By 2007, Kapsch TrafficCom has risen to become the global market leader in the field of tolling systems and is setting up systems all over the world, for example in Australia, North and Latin America and some European countries. In the following years, Kapsch TrafficCom successfully positions itself as a global provider of tolling and traffic management systems. In 2015, the cross-border traffic management project "CHARM" is won, a major project commissioned by the English and Dutch road authorities. In 2016, Kapsch TrafficCom acquires the Transportation division of Schneider Electric on the Iberian Peninsula, thereby strengthening its position in the Intelligent Transportation Systems segment. Constant Transformation At the beginning of the 2020s, however, Kapsch TrafficCom is once again faced with a major task – the successful activities and projects on all continents are contrasted with societal and economic crises. The unforeseeable consequences of the Covid 19 pandemic, the component crisis and the geopolitical situation are affecting the company's social and economic environment. CEO Georg Kapsch, who represents the fourth generation of the Kapsch family to lead the traditional company, concludes: "The past 13   decades have been marked by successes and crises, by huge social, political and economic upheavals, which have had a significant impact on both the company and all its employees. Through these turbulent times, the company has always focused on long-term and sustainable growth. For us, the anniversary therefore brings a renewed awareness of the values that have accompanied us since 1892  – innovation, quality, cohesion and, last but not least, the awareness that we are responsible not only for the current generation, but also for future generations of society and our employees."

The target is to accelerate and simplify Vehicle-to-Everything (V2X) deployment and operations of secure corridor management Vienna/Los Angeles, September   16, 2022   – Kapsch TrafficCom (KTC) and Microsec   Ltd. are announcing a new strategic collaboration. The partnership is geared towards delivering industry-leading secure digital services for the global transportation market. Its goal is to improve safety, reduce congestion and related emissions, and to support the advancement of automated vehicles. The collaboration focuses on comprehensive, modular, and secure connected corridor solutions to deliver trusted, reliable, and authenticated digital services. “Connected Vehicle Services and the connected transportation market are ready for operational programs which truly impact the safety of our transportation stakeholders,“ states Steve Sprouffske, VP Connected Vehicle Services at Kapsch TrafficCom. “With this new collaboration with Microsec, a Qualified Trust Service Provider (QTSP) with nearly 40   years of security service, we want to spur new growth at scale which delivers on the promise of Connected Vehicles.” “Kapsch TrafficCom is a recognized industry leader and integrating our commercially deployed and state-of-the-art V2X   PKI   solutions with their highly sought after connected roadside infrastructure and digital services is a real benefit to road operators as it simplifies procurement, integration, deployment and operations,” says Márton Hegedüs, CEO of Microsec. “V2X   communications is about delivering roadside safety and facilitating greater traffic efficiency, but it can’t function without the trust afforded by security credentials.” Collaboration details Integrating the diverse Traffic and Connected Vehicle Services portfolio of Kapsch TrafficCom with Microsec’s IEEE 1609.2.1 standards-based advanced V2X PKI security solutions for transportation creates a commercial-ready solution option for roadway operators to manage connected corridors securely. Delivering security services packaged with connected corridor solutions for highway and urban environments offers simplification, adaptability and scalability to roadway operators of any size. Kapsch TrafficCom and Microsec have already accomplished device level integration for the KTC RIS family of roadside platforms. As security solutions are not limited by region, Kapsch TrafficCom-Microsec is a non-exclusive venture and will jointly offer integrated solutions for Europe, North America and APAC markets. The goal is to leverage ETSI and OmniAir certifications to deliver Cooperative ITS Credential Management System (CCMS) and Secure Credential Management System (SCMS) capabilities for ITS-G5 and C-V2X based communications, respectively. Further integrations with physical and digital products are expected in the near future and will roll out by region. Find out more  Meet with the Kapsch TrafficCom team in booth #1853 at ITS World Congress being held in Los Angeles, California from September 18-22 where Connected Vehicle Services, Demand Management and Orchestrated Connected Corridor are ushering in a new age of digital infrastructure and transportations services.

Major highways are reducing congestion and improving road user experience with state-of-the-art Express Lanes tolling system Find out more about the project at IBTTA  2 022 (booth 413-415), September   18-20 in Austin,   TX Vienna/Austin, September   13, 2022   – Interstate   15 & State Route   91, highways that runs through one of the most congested regions of the world, experience a state-of-the-art All-Electronic-Tolling (AET) express lanes System. Riverside County drivers on the busy I-15 highway, which connects the US-Canadian border with Las Vegas and Southern California, and SR-91, which runs through several regions of the Greater Los Angeles area, experience an improved drive and reduced congestion by using the barrier-free express lanes system. The Riverside County Transportation Commission (RCTC) contracted with Kapsch TrafficCom to provide the end-to-end solution. “Our solution has helped RCTC to reduce congestion on the corridor, and to improve end-user experiences based on consistent and highly responsive services. Other key benefits are the ability to incentivize ride sharing to further reduce traffic while collecting revenue to meet the financial obligations of the I-15   Express Lane project” , comments JB Kendrick, President at Kapsch TrafficCom USA, Inc. End-to-end project acceptance awarded August 23rd After completion of a number of project milestones, including the opening of the 15 Express Lanes and the customer service center in 2021, the final project acceptance was received, certifiying that Kapsch TrafficCom was able to meet all performance and contractual requirements for the project and continue the five year partnership to operate & maintain the RCTC Express Lanes system. The two tolled express lanes incorporate eight toll points on the I-15 Express Lanes and four on the SR-91 Express Lanes in Riverside County. Kapsch TrafficCom also delivered 15 variable message signs (on the roadside), 27 CCTV cameras for enforcement, and 39 microwave vehicle detectors. The solution includes the 15 Express Lanes back-office system,dynamic pricing, image review, a customer contact center, and collections enforcement.Kapsch also provides the operations and maintenance functions for the express lanes and staffs and operates the traffic operations center and customer service center. Learn more at IBTTA 2022 Kapsch TrafficCom is excited to share more info on the project at this year’s IBTTA event in Austin, Texas from September 17-20. If you want to find out more about the project and other innovative tolling projects for Express Lanes or Road User Charging and Demand Management that Kapsch TrafficCom is working on, come by booth 413-415, or go to Tolling Transformation to see our revolutionary ideas on the future of tolling!

Kapsch Intelligent Corridor is using the latest technology to reduce traffic jams and improve road safety Visit booth #1853 at the ITS   World Congress in LA from September   18-22 to find out more Vienna/Los Angeles, September   12, 2022  – At this year’s ITS World Congress in LA, David   Bolt, VP   Sales and Solution Consulting for the APAC region, will provide an update on how the Kapsch   & AIMES Intelligent Corridor project is going and explain six defined use cases focused at congestion management and improving road safety. The project was launched by Kapsch TrafficCom in March of this year together with the University of Melbourne and the Victorian Department of Transport (DOTVic) supported by a AUD 2 million Australian Research Council (ARC) Linkage grant from the Federal Government. “Our idea is to use new and existing technology to provide effective 'change levers' to traffic operators, improving the transport network and the surrounding environment for all traffic participants,” David Bolt says ahead of his appearance at the ITS World Congress. Covering a 2.5 kilometer stretch of Nicholson Street between Alexandra and Victoria Parades, the Intelligent Corridor uses sensors, cloud-based AI, machine learning algorithms, predictive models and real time-data capture to improve traffic management – easing congestion, improving road safety for cars, pedestrians and cyclists, and reducing emissions from clogged traffic. The Intelligent Corridor marks a significant new phase, providing a new level of monitoring, with sensors on every intersection and a host of initiatives that will create a world-leading traffic management system. “The challenge is turning the mountain of data that is available into usable information. Our task is connecting the right data and focusing on usable outcomes to enable and inform operators. Based on those outcomes, a number of use cases can be identified that are actively impacting traffic participants,” David continues. The Kapsch Intelligent Corridor is part of the AIMES (Australian Integrated Multimodal EcoSystem) network. AIMES is the world’s first and largest ecosystem for testing emerging connected transport technologies at large scale in complex urban environments. It incorporates over 100 kilometers of road network in Melbourne and receives support from the Victorian Department of Transport. If you want to learn more about the Intelligent Corridor, AIMES and how Kapsch TrafficCom is managing and transforming mobility data, visit David’s presentation in hall 406A on September 20 at 3pm or come by the Kapsch TrafficCom booth #1853.

Gabriel Makki, tolling expert at Kapsch TrafficCom provides insights into road user charging (RUC) and which challenges the technology is still facing Vienna, September   1, 2022   – The number of vehicles on the roads shows continued growth, while the cost of maintaining road infrastructure is increasing. At the same time, the new environmental protection and sustainability goals are forcing new mobility concepts. Question: How can tolling still have an impact in this challenging environment? Gabriel Makki : Traditionally, a toll was introduced as a means to recover the cost of building new road infrastructure and fund its ongoing maintenance. Tolling has also proven to be a powerful tool in shaping traffic to achieve set goals. Among those are for example maintaining throughput and reducing congestion and even emissions. This can be achieved by influencing road user behaviour both on motorways and in urban environments. A toll is in fact very effective in that regard as it inherently affects only those actually using the infrastructure. Question: What will tolling technology of the future look like? Gabriel Makki : It is difficult to generalize, because conditions vary between countries. However at the moment, we see that the more forward-looking clients seek to introduce tolling that supports true location and distance-based charging. Their advantage is not only greater flexibility in terms of charging based on actual road used and miles travelled, but they also require less roadside infrastructure. This is worthwhile both for long-term investments and for operating expenses – so it brings CAPEX and OPEX benefits. Question: How does road user charging fit into all this? Gabriel Makki : Electric vehicle, or EV, adoption promises increased transportation sustainability. But EVs also pose significant challenges for governments – especially in terms of funding infrastructure projects and maintaining existing road networks. This is because EVs will dramatically reduce revenues from fuel taxes in just a few years. One way that governments can address this growing hole in their budgets is to implement a new funding method known as road user charging, also called RUC. This considers the distance travelled by motorists in their vehicles, as well as the type and emissions status of vehicles, and applies charges accordingly. RUC is right now being tested in the field. We are involved in these exciting developments, currently rolling out an RUC proof of concept, in short PoC, based on Global Navigation Satellite System technology in Norway. This project gives us the opportunity to deploy our know-how and technology in this emerging domain. We look forward to sharing more on this RUC PoC in the near future. Question: Are there any roadblocks to rolling out distance-based charging technologies such as RUC? Gabriel Makki : When it comes to implementing RUC, there are usually some technical challenges to overcome and public acceptance to generate – for example, with regard to data privacy and the integrity of user data. However, many European countries have already implemented distance-based charging for heavy goods vehicles, in short HGVs. This means that many of the technical building blocks needed for a broader, light-vehicle solution are already available. We are also active in that field, for example with our recent HGV distance-based charging project in Bulgaria, which uses location data from a variety of sources, processed within our advanced Geo Location Platform, to calculate and apply vehicle charges accurately and reliably. Question: What do you think will be the next thing in the tolling space – what are we talking about in five years? Gabriel Makki : I think the tolling industry is very complex and diverse, but it is clear that any tolling solution needs to be flexible enough to adapt to new technologies, such as connected vehicle data, 5G, or data from end-users’ mobile devices. There is a lot of room for improvement and making smart use of data in that area, and I am excited to see how we are developing this space within Kapsch TrafficCom and the industry at large. If you want to learn more about how Kapsch TrafficCom continues to innovate in the tolling space, visit Tolling   Transformation .

Vienna, August   29, 2022   – The public transport business unit, bundled in the group company "Arce Mobility Solutions", is to be sold to the technology company Kontron. The transaction is subject to regulatory approvals. The agreed purchase price is in line with management expectations. The area of public transport is not part of the strategic core business of Kapsch TrafficCom, therefore the company has decided to sell this business unit. Kapsch TrafficCom acquired the transportation division of Schneider Electric in 2016. This included, among other things, activities in the area of public transport (in particular ticket vending machines and access control) in Spain. In fiscal year 2021/22, this division generated sales of around EUR 11.2 million and employed more than 115 people. For Kontron, the transaction represents a welcome opportunity to further expand the existing business of Kontron Transportation Group in the public transport segment. "Arce Mobility Solutions" will bring a complementary extension of Kontron's product portfolio, engineering capabilities and will also strengthen the Group's presence in the Iberian market, which is already covered by the rail segment.

Kapsch TrafficCom supplies Connected Roadside technology as part of the Intelligent Transport Systems initiative to provide increased safety and efficiency to drivers The company is attending this year’s ITS Australia Summit 2022 in Brisbane Melbourne, August 11, 2022   – Kapsch TrafficCom is proud to be part of the team working on the Cooperative Intelligent Transport Systems upgrade of Queensland's Bruce Highway, jointly funded by the Australian and Queensland governments. The Cooperative and Automated Vehicle Initiative (CAVI), delivered by Queensland's Department of Transport and Main Roads (DTMR), piloted the system within the Ipswich Connected Vehicle Pilot between September 2021 to 2022. The Ipswich pilot validated the crash reduction benefits for the use cases tested. The Ipswich pilot systems consisted of 29 signalised intersections using Roadside Intelligent Transport Systems Stations (R-ITS-S) and a central facility to test six safety use cases. "This project gives regional road users the chance to explore the C-ITS service along the highway before it becomes commercially available in vehicles, which we are expecting on Australian roads in 2024-25," Minister for Transport and Main Roads of Queensland, Hon Mark Bailey said. "My department is focused on unlocking the crash reduction benefits of C-ITS. This system is expected to reduce crashes by 20%, contributing towards the Queensland Government's vision of zero road deaths and serious injuries, and save around $2   billion over the next 30   years.” Since the Ipswich pilot's conclusion, Kapsch TrafficCom has supplied and remotely commissioned an additional 37 Kapsch TrafficCom road-side units (RSUs) along the Bruce Highway. Covering over 1,500 kilometres along the northeast coast of Australia, between Brisbane and Cairns. The road-side units that Kapsch TrafficCom supplies for the project are located at traffic lights where the Bruce Highway passes through townships. The RSUs broadcast signal status and timing to connected road users, providing them with crucial warnings of red lights and pedestrian presence at crossings. "As traffic volumes increase, connected vehicle technology will play a major role in improving safety and efficiency of the transport network. Bruce Highway is one of the major traffic arteries in Queensland and Kapsch TrafficCom's C-ITS technology gives regional road users the chance to experience the benefits of this technology as it starts to become more commonly available in vehicles” , comments Matthew McLeish, EVP for the APAC region at Kapsch TrafficCom. “The project implementation and pilot execution have created a blueprint for C-ITS projects in Australia and internationally” , Matthew continues. “The collaborative approach between Kapsch TrafficCom and DTMR was essential to delivering a quality solution.” The Bruce Highway C-ITS extension builds on the Ipswich pilot which focused on trialing the core system functionality and developing capability for operators to operate, maintain, and monitor the hardware. The findings of the trial were positive, with a majority of users saying they would continue using the equipment. If you want to find out more about the Bruce Highway C-ITS project and other ongoing projects, come by booth 8 at this year’s ITS Australia Summit 2022 in Brisbane (16-18 August)!