The objective of this paper is to introduce the current interoperability situation in Ireland and to present the Information Exchange Agent Project, delivered and operated to facilitate the Electronic Toll Collection (ETC) interoperability concept. As part of its Public Private Partnership (PPP) programme, the National Roads Authority (NRA) has developed an approach towards ETC interoperability in Ireland. The NRA imposed standard ETC encoding and processing rules, and, in December 2004, launched a tender to establish an ETC clearing house organisation, the so-called Information Exchange Agent (IEA). In Ireland, all ETC systems implemented are interoperable from a technical point of view, allowing a tag user to cross any toll facility in the country with a single tag. The IEA aims at facilitating commercial interoperability through the mandatory exchange of both ETC subscriber lists and ETC transactions among toll operators, enabling settlement of interoperable revenue between those operators. The IEA project, awarded to Egis Projects, comprises the implementation, operation, support and maintenance of the required information systems. For the covering abstract see E134653.
Samenvatting