Automatic congestion taxation in Stockholm.

In May 2004 the Swedish Road Administration was commissioned by the Government to implement a congestion tax system into trial operation in Stockholm. The system was launched on January 3, 2006 and will be in operation until July 31, 2006. IBM Svenska AB is the general contractor for the design, development of the system and Q-free ASA as the sub-contractor for the technical system/road-side installations. There are 18 control points located at Stockholm city entrances and exits, and the system covers an area of 24 square kilometres. Vehicles are registered automatically at the control points by cameras that photograph the number plates. The number plates are identified by the Optical Character Recognition system in the cameras. There are three gantries at each control point. The cameras used to photograph the front and rear plates are situated on the first and third of these gantries. Those vehicles equipped with an electronic onboard unit for direct debit payment are also identified through this means. The laser sensors and the antennas for the onboard units are placed on the middle gantry. Vehicles are registered when driving both into and out of the inner city zone. All owners of vehicles registered in Sweden are required to pay congestion tax if their vehicle pass the control points on weekdays between 6.30 a.m. and 6.29 p.m. The cost for passing a control point is SEK 10, 15 or 20 depending on the time of day. The maximum amount payable per vehicle and day is SEK 60. There is no opportunity to pay at the control points. Payment must be made after having passed a control point and must be registered in the Swedish Road Administration congestion tax account within five days of passage. The number of passages on an average day is 375.000, which results in 110.000 tax decisions. The system is operated on a daily bases. The tax decisions are summarised in the evening and are available the day after passing a control point (A). Only abstract (as above) is available from the conference proceedings. For the covering abstract of the conference see ITRD E212343.