Toll: “Count on modern technology during collection”
Motor vehicles with chip license plate from Tönnjes E.A.S.T. are identified by 100 percent
Bremen, November 2016. The motor vehicle toll is coming: Federal Minister of Transport Alexander Dobrindt (CSU) believes that starting the system after the elections in the coming year is realistic. Instead of a classic adhesive vignette, Dorbrindt counts on the electronic reconciliation via the registration number in terms of toll. Up to now, the Federal Government has not decided for a concrete implementation technology. “DePLATEs based on RFID technology could be the solution. The decision-makers in Berlin do not know our system sufficiently enough yet”, says Dietmar Mönning, Managing Director at Tönnjes E.A.S.T. about the current developments. “We would not like to appear as a toll company, but to cooperate with them - as specialist for vehicle identification”.
Which technology should be used for the vehicle identification with the motor car toll is not yet clear. Discussed options are cameras shooting a digital photo of the license plate. Like the successfully completed, large-scale field trial by Tönnjes E.A.S.T. of this year in cooperation with the Dutch Ministry of Defence, the detection rate of cameras is partially at 62 percent. In case of snow, rain, fog or dirty license plates, cameras quickly reach their limits. The procedure with added electronic license plates with RFID chip is significantly more effective and reliable. A combination of both systems identifies almost 100 percent of all vehicles. “Against this backdrop, those responsible should ask themselves, whether one would like to concentrate exclusively on camera detection in Germany”, replies Dietmar Mönning. In conclusion, the Federation would possibly lose high earnings with a decision without the chip license plates: “Not only that traffic offenders get away with it in bad weather, but the Federation also misses out on around 40 percent of the earnings.” With an average of 121 rainy days per year in Germany this is a considerable amount.
Due to such successful tests from the field trial, the Netherlands are very interested in the system. In South America, already several countries have decided for an RFID solution from the Tönnjes E.A.S.T. company. The use of the chip-based technology is also interesting on grounds relating to data protection. The RFID chip offers maximum security in combination with the encryption technology of the Dutch company NXP and especially designed RFID reading devices. The Ministry of Transport already stressed that all data will be deleted immediately after positive collection. “We would like this. Anyway, we plead for control by the state”, says Dietmar Mönning.