Taiwan’s internationally awarded electronic toll collection system was praised as a feasible solution to traffic challenges faced by Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation member economies during the annual meeting of the regional economic forum’s Transportation Working Group late last month in Taipei City.
The combination of ETC’s big data with smart city applications developed by Taiwan’s public and private sectors is a worthy example for APEC member economies seeking to develop homegrown solutions, the group was reported as stating by system operator Taipei-headquartered Far Eastern Electronic Toll Collection Co. in a statement released May 3.
According to FETC, a delegation of transportation experts from 10 APEC member economies conducted an ETC fact-finding tour during the group’s April 25-28 meeting. New Zealander Nick Brown, who chaired the meeting this year, was said to be impressed by the system’s operational efficiency and vehicle detection accuracy.
It is a great challenge to install a national electronic tolling system in New Zealand given the mountainous terrain and numerous small islands, Brown told FETC, adding that Taiwan’s successful ETC experience will serve as a valuable reference for a trial program in the South Pacific nation’s largest city, Auckland.
FETC President Chang Yung-chang said the system processes an average 15 million transactions per day and boasts a tolling accuracy rate of 99.98 percent. ETC bears testament to Taiwan’s information and communication technology prowess, and its know-how in hardware and software integration will further promote the country’s credentials as a globally recognized provider of total transportation solutions.
Launched in 2006 as an optional payment method utilizing infrared separate on board units, ETC switched to radio frequency identification technology in 2012 and replaced all manual tolling around the country by the end of 2013. This made Taiwan the first in the world to implement a national electronic tolling system network.
ETC has bagged numerous global honors for its outstanding performance. These include an excellence award presented at the annual meeting of U.S.-based International Bridge, Tunnel and Turnpike Association in August 2015, and an industry award at Intelligence Transport System World Congress staged two months later in France. (SFC-E)
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