Brazil has introduced its first and largest free-flow tolling operation, marking a significant shift in its toll collection system. This innovation, powered by Tattile’s high-performance LPR camera, aims to streamline toll operations while reducing operational costs and improving traffic flow.
Previously, Brazil’s tolling system was based on stop-and-go booths, which created traffic congestion and resulted in high operational costs. Additionally, more than 70% of vehicles passing through highways never paid tolls, as their routes did not intersect with toll booths. The introduction of the multi-lane free-flow system addresses these issues by providing a more efficient, secure and cost-effective toll collection method.
Advantages of free-flow application
The free-flow tolling system offers a wide range of benefits. Not only does it improve traffic flow, but it also enhances driver convenience by eliminating the need to stop at toll booths. The system’s seamless operation contributes to faster travel times, reduced congestion and better overall traffic management.
In addition to the time-saving aspect, free-flow tolling provides a safer and more accurate toll collection method. The technology’s reliance on automatic vehicle identification LPR camera, ensures that all vehicles are accurately tracked, reducing the risk of toll evasion, which had been a significant issue with the previous stop-and-go system.
Tattile’s solutions for free-flow
When presented with this question, Tattile answered it with its Vega family and Smart+ family products, such as Axle Counter, which are targeted at free-flow applications. Combining these solutions is easy, guarantees better detection performance and offers a fair payment based on the number of the vehicle’s axles, giving a more complete set of information about the vehicle.
Guaranteeing high performances in free-flow applications is even more important because every lost transit means losing money for the road’s owner.
Vega Axle Counter’s advanced embedded processing capability, based on A.I., allows it to detect and count vehicles’ axles at any time of the day or night. Thanks to its artificial intelligence-based algorithm, this LPR camera generates the reconstructed image of the vehicle for visual confirmation, together with the configurable set of metadata.
Tattile Smart+ LPR camera is specifically designed to meet the requirements of free-flow toll collection, as it is able to cover two lanes at a maximum width of 7.5 meters and detect vehicles at a speed of up to 250 km/h. Additional standard functionalities include monochrome vehicle images and color context vehicle images, an optical speed evaluation and the ability to read reflective and non-reflective license plates, ensuring quality images also in low light conditions.
Furthermore, another feature can be added in order to allow vehicle color, brand and model recognition; on top of the LPR camera functionality, HD streaming for video surveillance can also be implemented, optimizing space and costs. All the data provided by the axle counters and ANPR cameras can be easily reconciled to create a complete set of information about the vehicle, from the license plate to the number of axles.
This move to a multi-lane free-flow tolling system is a major step forward for Brazil, particularly in light of legislation passed to allow the implementation of multi-lane free-flow.
