Anyone that drives to work via a toll road or bridge will be pleased to know that payments could become much simpler. Taking a toll road is supposed to be a convenience, but the payment process has made it nothing but a hassle for most drivers. Billing is time consuming and expensive. Forcing drivers to stop and use their credit cards or fumble around in their pockets for loose change is inconvenient to say the least.
What’s more, staffed roadside kiosks are an outdated old solution. Barriers and ticket machines require maintenance and the spare parts are rarely available any longer. The majority of faults involve the bank note and card payment options. Breakdowns leave people frustrated, and that is something we want to eliminate by streamlining the payment process. What is needed is a way for regular commuters and transport companies to choose non-cash payment options that don’t require them to stop and interrupt their trip.
This is where Ericsson Radio Dot System comes in. Picture yourself driving a “connected car” like the one shown above that comes equipped with a SIM card linked to your mobile wallet. The Dot would be installed beside a high-speed toll lane or bridge and, as you drive past, capture the SIM information from your car. The data is passed on to toll authority, which process the payment via your mobile wallet.
Toll roads are fantastic examples of mobile POS scenarios. Dot will be able to determine information such as accurate user location and identify regular road users or emergency services. This type of innovative mobile technology has the potential to make the payment of road tolls and other public services as easy as sending SMS.
Operators can play a crucial role in removing the complexities and inconvenience of these types of payments by offering mobile wallet solutions. This is especially beneficial in unbanked markets, where infrastructures can be insufficient and unreliable. By simplifying the millions of toll road payments made every day, mobile network operators not only create new revenue streams but also encourage familiarity with the service and loyalty to the operator.
Editor’s Note: This post was originally published in April 2014 by Goran Loncaric on Ericsson M-Commerce website at http://www.ericsson.com/m-commerce/blog/mobile-network-operators-can-take-hassle-out-toll-road-payments.
