A Survey of Technologies for the Implementation of National-Scale Road User Charging

This paper surveys the technologies available for constructing a pervasive, national-scale road pricing system. It defines the different types of road pricing, the methods by which a vehicle’s position can be determined, and then examines possible pricing regimes in the context of their technological requirements and implications. The issue of enforcement and the distribution of pricing policies are considered, and further complexities are outlined. An examination of the security aspects of such systems is made, focusing particularly on the need to ensure privacy using technological, rather than solely procedural, methods. The survey concludes that a pervasive, national-scale deployment is unlikely to be technically achievable in the short term.