Kapsch
Press releases

The toll system enables toll management without stopping the vehicle. The project will be implemented on various high-capacity roads and affects heavy vehicles.   Vienna/Madrid, April   21, 2022  – Kapsch TrafficCom will implement a toll system for heavy vehicles on multiple high-capacity roads in the Basque region of Bizkaia. The system allows tolls to be managed automatically without the vehicle having to stop at the collection point, thus contributing to safer, smoother and more comfortable traffic flow for users. This project was awarded by the public company Interbiak, will be carried out as part of a joint venture with Construcciones Amenábar. It involves an investment of EUR 12.5 million and will be implemented over a period of about 20 months. “Our technology eliminates the traditional booths and barriers to maintain traffic flow and contributes to reducing emissions as the vehicle does not have to stop and start again in the collection area, similar to the technology applied in the M50   project in Ireland. In addition, the entire system is flexible and scalable in functionality and capacity, so that as new needs are identified, they can be implemented without excessive changes”, says Steve   Parsons, Sales Director at Kapsch TrafficCom. Compared to traditional toll systems, the Multi Lane Free Flow (MLFF) technology collects and processes toll data electronically and automatically and improves the flow of traffic on the roads. Furthermore, it is capable of incorporating all the sensors and equipment that make up the toll collection point in a single gantry – a characteristic of the technological solution of Kapsch TrafficCom. This means that the system can identify and record the front and rear number plates, continuously track all vehicles and electronic payment devices (TAGs) that circulate through the toll collection or control point and send them to Interbiak's Central System for processing. The collection point system is designed to manage payment with the TAG device, while those vehicles that do not have this electronic payment device will be able to associate their number plate with a means of payment authorised by Interbiak.

One of Melbourne’s busiest roads will host a world-leading traffic management system using the latest technology to reduce traffic jams and improve road safety. The ‘Intelligent Corridor’ at Nicholson Street, Carlton will be launched by the University of Melbourne, Austrian technology firm Kapsch TrafficCom and the Victorian Department of Transport. Covering a 2.5 kilometer stretch of Nicholson Street between Alexandra and Victoria Parades, the Intelligent Corridor will use 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. Leveraging different types of traffic sensors already installed by AIMES, the team will fine-tune the Intelligent Corridor over the next three years. The sensors will connect and monitor all parts of the transport environment. Safety metrics will be incorporated in real-time control of traffic signals, derived from traffic safety software developed by Advanced Mobility Analytics Group. AIMES (Australian Integrated Multimodal EcoSystem) 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, bounded by Lygon and Hoddle Streets, and Victoria and Alexandra Parades and receives support from the Victorian Department of Transport. 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. AIMES Director and Professor of Transport Engineering at the University of Melbourne, Professor Majid Sarvi said the Intelligent Corridor will provide a model for cities around the world to reduce the costs of urban congestion. Urban congestion costs the Australian economy $16.5 billion in travel delays every year, according to Infrastructure Australia’s Infrastructure Audit Report 2019. “In Melbourne alone, 492 people lost their lives in crashes at urban intersections – with more than half of these being pedestrians, cyclists or motorcyclists – between 2006 and 2019. Our Intelligent Corridor will use the latest technology to better manage traffic and make our roads safer for everyone,” Professor Sarvi said. The project will collect before-and-after data to demonstrate the Corridor’s effectiveness. Its performance will be fine-tuned to improve outcomes on an ongoing basis over the next three years, thus providing important evidence for implementation in other cities. The Intelligent Corridor will use global technology firm Kapsch TrafficCom's corridor management platform EcoTrafiX. TrafficCom Executive Vice-President for Asia Pacific, Matthew McLeish said: “From connected vehicles to autonomous driving to integrated mobility management, this technology is laying the groundwork for a sustainable and congestion-free future, utilizing the very best in multi-modal demand management technologies such as the Kapsch EcoTrafix platform.” Director of Signal Services with the Victorian Department of Transport Niloo Karimi, said the Intelligent Corridor was an important and exciting step for Melbourne. “The City has faced an increasing volume of road users over the past few decades, leading to delays and an increasing number of accidents. Now, academic researchers, industry and government will draw on connected transport technology to explore better outcomes and solve issues of safety and congestion to create a safer, cleaner and smarter transport future for Melbourne,” Ms Karimi said. The Intelligent Corridor is supported by a $2 million Australian Research Council (ARC) Linkage grant, with contributions from the University of Melbourne and industry partners Kapsch TrafficCom and Advanced Mobility Analytics Group. ARC Acting Chief Executive Officer Judi Zielke said: “The University of Melbourne, Kapsch TrafficCom and the Department of Transport Victoria, through their cooperation and linkages across disciplines, have taken an idea to reduce traffic congestion to a real-life, real-time application.” You can find more information on the Intelligent Corridor and the AIMES project here:

World’s leading trade event for mobility from March 29 to April 1 Vienna/Amsterdam, March 16, 2022 – At Intertraffic Amsterdam, the world’s leading trade event for mobility, Kapsch TrafficCom will be showcasing solutions for digital traffic control and connected vehicles and roads. Extreme weather events are changing people's views on mobility: 72 percent are more critical of emissions and 70 percent no longer consider the current state of climate protection acceptable. This forces communities, authorities and agencies to change how they think about mobility and how they manage traffic in a modern, connected and data-based environment. “Our partners are not only looking for sustainable solutions, but for solutions that bring some immediate impact,” says Gerd Gröbminger, VP Sales CENECA at Kapsch TrafficCom. “The good news for cities and road authorities are that most of today’s challenges they are facing can be addressed with our modern traffic management technologies like integrated mobility management, congestion pricing and connected vehicles.” From next-generation tolling and green gantries to intelligent navigation systems, big data and connected vehicle solutions, Kapsch TrafficCom is transforming mobility, putting sustainability first. Kapsch TrafficCom invites visitors to stop by Booth 229 in Hall 1 and get introduced to these solutions, discuss them with our experts and see for themselves the mobility of the future.

Martinez succeeds Juan Zamakona who is leaving Latin America to join the Kapsch team in Europe. Since Kapsch came to Mexico with the acquisition of Simex, Zamakona has managed the transition, positioning Kapsch as a leading provider of toll, electronic toll and mobility technology in this region. "I would like to thank Juan for his great commitment during his assignment in the region over the years and wish him success in his new role and professional challenge" , says Rivas.  Kapsch has great expectations for growth in the region, both in the toll sector and in urban mobility. Its advanced SmartToll tolling system has been successfully implemented in recent projects in both Mexico and Costa Rica, and the intention is to have the opportunity to upgrade all legacy systems installed or operated by Kapsch in the region to SmartToll. Ramón Martinez expresses his enthusiasm and indicates that he will have a strong focus on customer satisfaction: "I am very excited about this new challenge, as this is a company whose innovative technologies can effectively meet the needs of our cities and highways to provide a better experience for citizens. My goal is to follow up on Kapsch's success in my sub-region, always keeping the customer at the centre so that we can be their best partners in tolling and mobility management.”

System integrator Kapsch TrafficCom to convert existing toll zones with all-electronic option. (Duluth, GA – January 11, 2022) The New Hampshire Department of Transportation (NHDOT) has selected Kapsch TrafficCom (Kapsch) to convert three remaining NHDOT toll zones to mainline all-electronic tolling (AET) from mixed-mode payment. This project extends Kapsch’s work scope initially contracted in 2015, in which Kapsch converted NHDOT toll sites at Hampton and Hooksett to provide a free-flow AET option at those toll plazas. The sites Kapsch will convert to AET are at Dover, Rochester, and Bedford, and will each feature single-gantry architecture that contains all tolling equipment. The Kapsch nVDC stereoscopic video sensor will trigger license plate reading (ALPR) cameras while supporting vehicle detection and classification, along with sensors and in-pavement treadles. The Kapsch VRX camera will facilitate video tolling for vehicles that do not have a toll transponder. Drivers will no longer need to stop, slow down, or change lanes at any point along these five sites in order to pay tolls, which will help improve traffic congestion, road safety, and vehicle emissions. As part of the project, Kapsch will also enhance its existing multiprotocol readers (MPR2.3) along NHDOT toll sites, enabling the agency to process all tolling protocols and support the goal of national tolling interoperability. Kapsch is a leading provider of electronic toll collection systems throughout the world, and has provided products and services to NHDOT through the E-ZPass Group since 2005. JB Kendrick, President of Kapsch TrafficCom North America, states: “The introduction of new free-flow traffic lanes at all NHDOT toll sites will offer drivers increased convenience and faster journeys, and we are glad to partner with NHDOT in this effort by expanding our proven AET solution at all the plaza locations.” Kapsch TrafficCom is a globally renowned provider of transportation solutions for sustainable mobility. Innovative solutions in the application fields of tolling, tolling services, traffic management and demand management contribute to a healthy world without congestion. Kapsch has brought projects to fruition in more than 50 countries around the globe. With one-stop solutions, the company covers the entire value chain of customers, from components to design and implementation to the operation of systems. As part of the Kapsch Group and headquartered in Vienna, Kapsch TrafficCom has subsidiaries and branches in more than 25 countries. It has been listed in the Prime Market segment of the Vienna Stock Exchange since 2007 (ticker symbol: KTCG). In its 2020/21 financial year, around 4,660 employees generated revenues of approximately EUR 500 million.  

Santiago, Chile, December 21, 2021 – New system allows combination of conventional and Free Flow tolling for a better user experience. A new electronic toll system will be installed on a 27 km stretch of the route through the Valparaíso region in Chile's central valley. Kapsch TrafficCom, a leading global toll technology and mobility management company, has been awarded the contract to implement its SmartToll system by Sociedad Concesionaria Nuevo Camino Nogales-Puchuncaví S.A. (Canopsa) of the company Aleatica. This will bring state-of-the-art toll collection to the market.  The project consists of an innovative system that combines traditional plazas with the Multi-Lane Free-Flow (MLFF) system. This offers a more flexible experience to highway users, who have different payment options and the possibility of reducing their travel time. According to Felipe Darrigrande, Country Manager of Kapsch TrafficCom in Chile, “this project is particularly interesting because of the combination of technologies that will result in a better end user experience, and also because it is the first implementation of our SmartToll system in Chile.” Within this project, Kapsch is responsible for the supply, installation and commissioning of the end-to-end toll collection system. This also includes the Back Office systems for the electronic toll collection, the Operational Back Office and the Commercial Back Office and Customer Service Center. Paulo Cezar de Souza, Project Manager and Technical Director of Aleatica Labs, states that “Aleatica is an globally active, intelligent transportation infrastructure operation company with the user at the center of its operations. The installation of this type of system is an example of how innovation and technology improve the user experience, offering greater efficiency in traffic flow.” Innovative systems for a better user experience The free-flow tolling system of Kapsch TrafficCom has been successfully implemented around the world. Thanks to the company's focus on R&D, the system installed in Chile is capable of the detection of double wheels on the rear axle with gantry-based sensors. Together with its axle detection and classification system, this allows categorizing vehicles to be charged according to the respective rate. The gantry-based sensors also allow greater safety for vehicles and for maintenance personnel, since no road blocks are required for system meintenance.

Vienna, December 20, 2021  – 1.2   million trucks save time with new on-board unit. Tolling services provider Tolltickets launches its services in Poland. From December 1 st , Tolltickets users will be able to drive from Gdańsk to Ghent with one single on-board device and one single invoice, saving time and making the lives of drivers easier. With more than 1.2 million trucks having to pay tolls – 55% of which are registered in a foreign country – Poland is both an important transit country and one of Europe’s leading distribution hubs. The addition of Poland to Tolltickets’ portfolio also complements its broad coverage in critical European logistics centres – Quentin Couret, COO of Tolltickets, comments: “ By successfully adding Poland to our growing list of countries, we are delighted to be able to cover the strategically important East to West corridor through Germany, in addition to our existing North to South corridor through Hungary and Bulgaria”.   Jan Kersten, Managing Director at Tolltickets concludes: “ Tolltickets has once again proven its ability to react to a major change in a tolling system in a record time. With our supplies of on-board units on stock, we are ready to provide effective solutions for our partners supporting heavy vehicle fleets across Europe” . Following swiftly on from its recent extension to Belgium and the Scandinavian countries, Tolltickets Poland becomes an important country as part of its rapidly expanding EETS (European Electronic Toll Service) coverage.

Vienna, 25 November 2021  – tolltickets adds Scandinavian countries to its growing tolling network. Beginning in December, tolltickets will add an additional 800km of toll roads in Norway, several ferry providers and the world-famous Øresund and Storebaelt bridges to its network, expanding its services both for private and business customers across Europe. In Belgium, where all heavy goods vehicles (exceeding a weight of 3,5 tons) must be equipped with an On-Board Unit (OBU), tolltickets will begin the pilot phase, meaning partners and customers will soon benefit from a fully integrated solution. The Belgium road network is a significant step forward as it connects tolltickets’ users in Central and Eastern Europe with the port of Antwerp, one of the world’s largest seaports. With this service expansion, tolltickets’ users will soon be able to pay tolls seamlessly in eight countries (Germany, Austria, Hungary, Bulgaria, Belgium, Denmark, Sweden, and Norway) with a single device. Quentin Couret, COO of tolltickets, comments: “ Belgium and Scandinavia are important milestones in our strategy to cover Europe with one single OBU, reducing complexity and increasing profitability for our customers.” Jan Kersten, tolltickets Managing Director, concludes: “Since entering the EETS market, tolltickets has been growing rapidly and continuously added new territories to its existing toll road network. More toll domains and will be added to its existing portfolio soon.”

Vienna, 24 November 2021  – The Glasgow Climate Pact is ambitious, but not enough. Commitments amount to 4.8 billion mt of CO 2 , while they need to fall by 12.5 billion mt in 2030 to get on track with a 2°C goal, according to the UN. For cities, the main drivers of emissions, digital traffic management is a valuable tool to reduce emissions while improving air quality. Cities like Austin or Madrid already take action and benefit from such measures today. The recently adopted Glasgow Climate Pact is an ambitious attempt to set targets for reducing emissions – but most countries are way off track in terms of meeting them. In fact, in order to achieve a warming limit of 1.5°C, efforts to curb emissions would have to reach 27 billion mt CO 2 by 2030. In addition to being am major source of emissions that are damaging the environment, urban transport is also responsible for air pollution in cities, as none-fuel emissions like tire wear emissions and braking particulates pose a significant health danger to the city population. Kapsch TrafficCom is making cities breathe again “Today, more than 80% of cities worldwide struggle with air pollution,” explains Georg Kapsch, CEO of Kapsch TrafficCom. “The impact on the environment and public health cannot be denied. Promising to focus on electric vehicles in the future is not enough and will by far not resolve the situation – immediate actions are required. We have the tools available to change things for the better, empowering cities to address these issues head-on.” By making use of the increased connectivity of infrastructure elements and traffic participants, joined-up traffic management can help cities to better guide traffic and reduce emissions-heavy congestion. Joined-up traffic management systems improve traffic flow on busy roads, influence drivers to moderate and modify their road-usage behaviour, free up space on roads for greener transport alternatives and improve air quality. By connecting infrastructure and traffic participants, cities both improve the quality of life for their citizens as well as combat global warming. The impact of traffic management In Austin, Texas, the implementation of managed lanes has improved throughput leading to reduced traffic congestion and increased revenue generation for the city. In Madrid, Spain, Kapsch data shows that Integrated Mobility Management has reduced delays and stops by 19% and journey times by 5%. Additionally, by employing joined-up traffic management measures like congestion charging, CO 2  emissions in the British city of London could be reduced by up to 20%, according to an independent assessment. Kapsch TrafficCom is working continuously to empower cities with tools to combat congestion and air pollution. That is why the company is launching its “Breathe”-campaign, emphasizing its efforts to give back cities the ability to breathe, from Times Square, New York to the streets of Buenos Aires, Melbourne and beyond. Check out more information on our Breathe-Campaign here: www.kapsch.net/en/ktc/breathe