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Proximity Cards a Viable Option for Toll Roads
Toll roads have been frustrating drivers for years. Traffic delays, and the constant struggle to find exact change buried within seat cushions, are just a couple factors that make tollbooths the targets of mass hatred. But over the years toll roads have adapted by taking on new methods of collecting payment. The intention is to speed up the process and add convenience. Some tolls accept pre-paid magnetic stripe cards which are swiped at the booth. Others, most notably in high traffic areas, operate on a system that incorporates small radio transponders mounted to vehicles. When a vehicle passes the toll barrier, the appropriate amount of money is deducted from the driver’s account, without the need for stopping. It wasn’t until recently that proximity cards entered the fray.
In 2006, the Ohio Turnpike became the first U.S. toll road to accept payment by proximity cards. The cards, which contain a small embedded RFID chip and antenna, must be waived in front of a reader by the driver when passing through the toll area. While this does require vehicles to come to a relative stop, it only takes a matter of seconds -- less time than swiping a magnetic stripe card, or exchanging a barcode card with a toll booth worker.
Some might question why proximity cards would be used instead of transponders, which allow vehicles to speed through toll zones without even braking. There are several issues involved in such a decision.
- In areas where traffic volumes are relatively low, it makes more sense to use proximity cards, due to the high cost of transponder readers.
- The cards themselves are very inexpensive.
- Low-speed zones and areas where stops are already necessary, such as border checkpoints, are prime locations for proximity card use.
Proximity cards are beginning to play a larger role at boarder crossings, such as those between Texas and Mexico, as well as New York and Canada. Such areas previously relied heavily on bar code cards which required a cumbersome back-and-forth exchange between driver and tollbooth worker. Proximity cards are the logical successor, providing increased speed and ease-of-use at the toll.
It’s clear that every toll area has its own specific attributes, and some payment collecting methods will be better suited than others for different zones. It’s nice that a handful of options besides paying with pocket change now exist, and the use of proximity cards certainly appears to be on the rise in this area.
