Contactless payments, more accurate mileage calculations and the ability to pay without needing to stop your vehicle are on the way to Croatia's motorways.
As Josip Bohutinski/VL/Poslovni Dnevnik writes on the 19th of September, 2018, Spanish consultants have announced a study for the beginning of 2019, about which a public debate will be conducted.
During the first eight months of 2018, Croatian Motorways (HAC) and the Rijeka-Zagreb Motorway (ARZ) motorways gained a total of 2.041 billion kuna without VAT, which is 121 million kuna or 6.3 percent more than was recorded at the same time last year.
In the same 1,105 kilometres over those eight months, the aforementioned roadways saw 40.6 million vehicles, which is 4.6 percent more than there were during the same period last year. HAC has pointed out that in just June, July and August alone, there were 21.1 million vehicles recorded and a huge toll collection worth 1.15 billion kuna. This is more than half of the traffic and and revenue in the first eight months, and it showcases the trends of seasonality of traffic on Croatia's motorways.
By September the 16th, HAC and ARZ motorways received 2.2 billion kuna in toll fees, which is six percent more than was taken during the same period of 2017, while vehicle traffic itself grew by 4.6 percent. By the end of the year, HAC expects toll revenue to stand at 2.8 billion kuna, 55 million kuna more than 2017. Within the program of restructuring from HAC, 230 employees left during the first eight months of the year, and the total number of permanent employees is now 2728.
It is expected, however, that by the end of 2022, the company will see another 500 workers leave. Boris Huzjan, chairman of the board, says that a call for the voluntary departure of workers is underway, with incentives, and the final number of workers leaving the company depends on the implementation of the new toll collection and maintenance system. Just when that new system will be introduced on HAC and ARZ motorways will be known in early 2019, when the aforementioned Spanish consultants complete their study.
Huzjan points out that the proposed hearing will be public. The new billing system will be directed towards mileage, payment will be contactless and will be able to occur without the vehicle needing to stop to make the payment. One of the more up-to-date models will see cameras make records of car registration plates, and then calculate the mileage through GPS or ENC in order to issue an accurate toll fee.
Click here for the original article by Josip Bohutinski/VL/Poslovni Dnevnik
