The Hindu Business Line : French firm to help NHAI decide electronic toll standard

New Delhi, July 7 French engineering consulting firm BCEOM (Bureau Central d’Etudes pour les Equipements d’Outre-Mer) is likely to advise National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) on the technology standard that should be adopted for electronic tolling systems on highways. It has emerged as the lowest bidder in the NHAI tender, which opened on Friday.

The electronic tolling systems equipment market in India is estimated to be worth at least Rs 600 crore. These electronic toll collection systems would allow road users to attach on-board units on the windscreens of their vehicles, ensuring automatic debit of the toll amount when they drive past toll plazas.

Thus, the road users do not have to stop or slow down to make toll payments.

NHAI’s earlier bid to set up electronic tolling systems in certain highway stretches ran into rough weather following a dispute between two factions of companies supporting different technology standards of tolling equipment.

Each group wanted NHAI to adopt the technology standard that it followed. On one side was Austrian firm Efkon Group supporting ISO CALM technology standard, on the other were firms such as Kapsch, GEA, IBI, Q-Free, CS Route and Elkosta.

Following this, NHAI decided to get expert advice from international consultants on the technology standard that would be most suitable for Indian highways.

Seven consulting firms from Europe, the US and Malaysia had bid for providing advisory services for deciding the intelligent transportation systems (ITS) blueprint for national highways in India.

Three firms had technically qualified after which the bids of these firms were opened on Friday, said sources.

The consultant would also have to advise on ensuring interoperability across electronic tolling systems and setting up a central clearing-house mechanism for the toll collected at various toll plazas along a stretch of national highway.

The clearing-house concept is important since various toll plazas along a highway stretch would be managed by different road operators and the user fees (toll payments) have to accrue to different players.

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