Sometimes You Don’t Need GPS For Business ROI
Following the successful launch of PlatePass, an electronic toll payment service that enables renters to bypass cash toll lanes in Houston, Texas and the Northeast corridor, Hertz has expanded the program to the state of Florida’s toll roads. PlatePass provides renters a cost-effective way to save time and reduce stress on the road by allowing customers to use SunPass Only and E-Pass electronic toll-collection lanes throughout Florida. PlatePass is an automated toll payment service offered by American Traffic Solutions, Inc… read the rest of this article which is really more about toll entities with thei heads up and locked than it is about Hertz.
Ok, back in the dim and distant recess of time someone thought about building abridge or even a whole turnpike and defraying the cost/making a profit by charging users a toll for each trip. It was good business sense, and in fact our world-wide transportation industry depends aupon this business model … which long predates the automobile, by the way.
A few years back someone looked at the lines at tollbooths and thought of what might have been a semi-smart way to cut down the wait and thus increase the toll facilitiy’s profitability. Business decisons should never be based on good or bad for the customer, they should be based on what’s good for the business with better service going along for the ride.
So a number of companies put together lash-ups of various forms of RFID technology, based around the model of selling/renting/loaning RFID transponders to drivers who want to use the system and putting an RFID reader at every toll collection point to “read” and thus charge each RFID user. It’s a great idea as far as it goes but it has one significant flaw … you have to build, pay for, distribute, mange, repair and account for thousands and thousands of transponders in order to collect a dime. Also, the various systems compete with each other and a subscriber to one system can’t use another system without expensive integration and duplication of effort. Gosh, a good idea but if only someone could devise a syetm with no moving parts, batteries or maintenance, free to the toll collection agencies, required by law to be on each and every motor vehicle … ahh, what a dream. As they do love to say here in the Philippines, “If only …”
Ah, wait! news flash! We already have such a device on each and every car, truck and motorcycle … it’s called … have you guessed it yet/ A license plate! Why not just read every license plate and bill the drivers who use the system? No transponders, no readers, no overhead for subscriptions, etc, and if a driver chooses not to pay, s/he doesn’t get to renew his/her license plate. How can this be so simple and yet so invisible to those operating our toll-taking infrastructure? Beats me.
In Colorado, where I last had one of those dumb transponders, I had to go through quite a process to get one, then assured that it was active and all in order, I made my first drive through the “preferred” electronic toll stations. Bingo! My transponder wasn’t yet in the system and since I passed twelve stations on that first day I received 12 fat envelopes of legal papers summoning me to court for being a toll cheater. The agency was already using ALPR (Automatic License Plate Recognition) to double check each toll RFID user as well as catch those who went through the lanes illegally. Hello? Why do the work twice? Read the plates, bill the honest folk and haul the dishonest ones into court.
Think of the savings in silly equipment not needed. Think of the reduction in cost by automating all toll stations instead of just a few. Think off … well, enough, I’ve made my point and it’s obvious those in charge are choosing not to think. Too bad.