Slovenia is heavily dependent on road transport, which accounts for 80% of all inland transport. Much of this traffic is international transit traffic, with 68% of all HGVs using the motorways being foreign registered.

Conventionally, vehicles have to slow down, queue, stop, collect a ticket or make a payment, exit the toll gate, and accelerate back up to speed. This process wastes fuel, wastes the economic resources of the truck, the driver and the load, increases local emissions and is an inefficient use of financial and human resources. It also contributes to congestion.

The Slovenian motorway network is managed by a single body: Družba za avtoceste v Republiki Sloveniji[2] (DARS). DARS managers proposed to move from conventional physical tollgates to a contactless, free-flowing, Electronic Toll Collection System (ETCS). ETCS is already in use in a number of EU countries, some funded by the EIB.

Under this system each vehicle needs a low-cost microwave tag. These will be available at 80 customer services points, or on-line, and they communicate with 34 gantries or road side-towers, to be installed as part of the project. Using Dedicated Short Range Communication (DSRC) technology, the users will then be charged electronically, based on the distance travelled and the vehicle’s EURO class, supporting the “user/polluter pays” principle, and promoting a more rational and efficient use of roads, leading to smarter transport. There should even be fewer accidents as vehicles will no longer have to stop at the toll booth.

[2] The Motorway Company of the Republic of Slovenia