The Fareway Alliance, comprising KBR (Kellogg Brown & Root), Atkins Transport Systems, and Thales Telecommunications Services (TTSL) in the UK, was awarded the DIRECTS (Demonstration of Interoperable Road User Charging and Telematics Systems) contract by the Department for Transport (DfT), in March 2001. This challenging program requires Fareway to perform three principal tasks: (1) to develop, over the period of the contract, a suite of specifications for Road User Charging (RUC), providing interoperability between the various sub-system components; (2) to design, develop, test, install operate and decommission a complete end-to-end trial system for RUC at a number of urban and motorway locations in the South Eastern quadrant of the City of Leeds; and (3) to prove via the trial, the interoperability of systems provided by multiple suppliers. The program will include the recruitment of volunteers and over 500 vehicles will be fitted with On-Board Equipment (OBE). Over the course of a minimum of 12 months, the volunteers will receive monthly sample invoices and, where applicable, sample Penalty Charge Notices as part of the live demonstration of the system. The equipment suppliers to the trial include OBE, Road Side Equipment (RSE) and back-office systems suppliers from the UK, France, Austria, Germany, Sweden and Canada. In demonstrating this system on live roads, the Alliance and it's suppliers will be demonstrating it's ability to meet the Requirements specification Suite it has prepared on DfT's behalf, interoperability between systems and equipment, and sustained live operations over the trial period.
Samenvatting