On 6th September, the Motorway Company of the Republic of Slovenia (DARS d. d.) signed a contract on setting up and operation of a multi-lane electronic toll collection system in free traffic flow on motorways and expressways with the consortium of Telekom Slovenije d. d. and Q-Free ASA, Norway, for vehicles with maximum permissible weight above 3500 kg (heavy vehicles). The value of contractual works is EUR 90,566,754.08 excluding VAT or EUR 110,491,439.98 including VAT, that is for the setting up of the system and carrying out the agreed services during the 10-year operational period. In accordance with the provisions of the Road Tolling Act, the existing vignette system for light vehicles with maximum permissible weight up to 3500 kg will continue to apply also after the introduction of the electronic toll collection system.
This is a microwave-based toll system at the standardised frequency of 5.8 GHz. Newly heavy vehicles will be tolled via almost 130 gantries set above motorways and expressways between certain junctions along the entire motorway system. 15 of those gantries will be additionally equipped with devices for stationary enforcement control. The existing enforcement control vehicles will also be equipped with the control equipment of the electronic toll collection system in free traffic flow. The tolled roads, tolling points and driven distances between individual tolled sections will be determined by the Government of the Republic of Slovenia in implementing regulations and the Road Tolling Act.
Prior to using the motorway, all heavy vehicle drivers will have to purchase an on-board unit (OBU) for electronic toll collection in free traffic flow. Electronic boards placed on the interior of the windscreen can be ordered months before the launch of the new system through an online application or will be available at special Customer Service Points and certain petrol stations.
On the side of contractors, the contract was signed by Rudolf Skobe, M.Sc. and Tomaž Seljak, President and Vice-President of the Management Board of Telekom Slovenije, Håkon Volldal and Roar Østbø, Chairman and member of the Management Board of Q-Free, and by Tomaž Vidic, Ph.D. and Gašper Marc, M.Sc., President and member of the Management Board of DARS as the contracting authority.
