Taiwan’s electronic toll collection system was honored for advancing cutting-edge smart transportation technologies by the Washington, D.C.-headquartered International Road Federation at the 2016 Global Road Achievement Awards Oct. 18 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
Developed by Taipei City-based Far Eastern Electronic Toll Collection Co. Ltd., ETC won the Traffic Management and Intelligent Transportation Systems prize, with IRF President and CEO Patrick Sankey describing it as a “pioneering system” that has set a new bar in free-flow toll collection.
Taiwan became the first country in the world to fully convert to free-flow tolling on all of its national freeways in 2013, as well as the first to install universal distance-based pay-as-you-go tolling the following year.
According to Far Eastern Group Chairman Douglas Hsu, the system has helped the government achieve financial sustainability in road management, highlighting the potential of public-private partnerships.
“Since FETC introduced the more advanced distance-based toll collection system in 2014, the project has created socio-economic benefits topping US$2 billion while promoting the global vision of low-carbon transportation.”
Hsu also noted that the award marks the second time IRF has recognized a local transportation project in the past two years after Taipei-based CECI Engineering Consultants Inc. won the federation’s 2015 Design Award for the National Freeway No. 1 Widening Project from Wugu District, New Taipei City to Yangmei District, Taoyuan City in northern Taiwan.
These honors are drawing global attention to the country’s engineering excellence and smart transportation development capabilities, he added.
Echoing Hsu’s remarks, FETC Managing Director Chang Yung-chang said the system can support government efforts to transform Taiwan into a research hub for smart city technologies and the Internet of Things sector.
“In particular, the 14 billion transactions observed by ETC so far can serve as excellent data for the development of a wide variety of public and mobile smart application services.”
First launched in 2006 as an optional payment method using onboard infrared units, the ETC system converted to e-Tags based on radio frequency identification, or RFID, technology in 2012. It boasts tolling accuracy and usage rates of 99.99 percent and 92.75 percent, respectively.
In addition to the latest honor, ETC claimed the Customer Service and Marketing Outreach award from the U.S.-based International Bridge, Tunnel and Turnpike Association in August last year, and the Industry Award from the Intelligent Transport System World Congress two months later.
IRF is comprised of public and private sector organizations in more than 70 countries. FETC’s toll system was among 12 projects honored at this year’s awards ceremony, which was held during the second IRF Asia Regional Congress and Exhibition. (SFC-E)
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