Fuel tax revenue has funded most of the highway construction and upkeep that has taken place over the past 80 years. But the usage of fossil fuel has taken a huge dive in the past few decades, due to an increased demand for sustainability. While fuel efficiency is a good thing, it is detrimental to fuel tax revenue, which has suffered a huge loss since 2000.
This brings us to the question: who or what will pay for new roads and road improvements?
That’s where Automatic Toll Payment Machines, or ATPM, come into play.
Tolling is the most effective method of transportation funding. Let’s face it – no one likes new taxes. But most people understand that someone must pay for the new roads currently being constructed. Seeing improvements in infrastructure validates this understanding.
What many people may not understand is that national fuel tax revenues have gone down, and the resulting revenue losses must be made up for somehow. Our country has exhausted revenues without tax increases. The only way to compensate for the losses is to toll roads that are used, and society must pay for their upkeep.
The general public often has a lot of concerns about tolling, which is understandable. There is the possibility of traffic jams at toll booths, payment being inconvenient, or sharing of personal information. Plus, toll booths may not be efficient or properly enforced.
The proposal to marry All Electronic Tolling (AET) with Automatic Toll Payment Machines (ATPM) is the ideal way to address these concerns. ATPMs in specific roadway locations, coupled with AET, allow people to pay by the method of their choice. They can also enroll in AET systems and pay the bills or have funds drawn from their payment accounts as they pass through gantries.
A-to-Be’s state-of-the-art Automatic Toll Payment Machines offer versatile configurations, multiple payment methods, and low operation costs, combining security and high-performance. The company connects every player within mobility networks, managed by public authorities and other mobility-as-a-service providers, ensuring everyone wins.
Learn more by reading the white paper, “The Best of Both Worlds: ATPM as a compliment for AET,” compiled by A-to-Be and Mobility-Beyond.
