What solutions will the new Via Toll system provide?
The project to implement an electronic road toll system in Lithuania is gaining momentum – the system will officially be called Via Toll. An application to register this name has been submitted to the State Patent Bureau of the Republic of Lithuania. Via Lietuva, the company implementing the project, is also revealing more details about how the advanced system – set to launch on January 1, 2027 – will operate, replacing the current electronic vignette system.
“As we carry out the implementation of the electronic road toll system, we are conducting public consultations with service providers and equipment manufacturers and organizing public procurement procedures. Last week, we signed a contract with Telecentras for the provision of state data center services. Furthermore, we can now announce that the system has been named Via Toll, a name that is easy to remember and understand, and the entire platform will be based on the principles of simplicity and user-friendliness. Together with our project partners, we are paying special attention to ensuring that the daily use of this system is as intuitive as possible, and that the system allows for convenient, efficient, and transparent toll administration,” says Martynas Gedaminskas, CEO of Via Lietuva.
The name Via Toll will encompass all solutions intended for system users, including the self-service portal and the mobile app.
One system – multiple ways to use it
The system, which will go into effect at the start of next year, will automatically calculate the toll amount based on the distance traveled; it will apply to cargo and passenger vehicles in categories M2, M3, N1, N2, and N3. Nothing will change for drivers of passenger cars (category M1) – they will continue to be exempt from the road user fee.
The Via Toll system will be tailored to the different needs of road users. Operators and drivers of cargo and passenger vehicles will be able to choose the most convenient way to use the system – by downloading a mobile app, via a self-service portal, or by selecting the services of European electronic toll service providers and the automated solutions they offer.
To ensure the most convenient user experience possible, a self-service portal and a mobile app, both based on the same operating principles, will be made available. In both environments, users will be able to register in the system, create an account to add or remove vehicles, view routes in real time or historical data, and access payment history and documents.
Users of the Via Toll system will be able to use on-board units (OBUs) installed in vehicles for automated toll calculation and payment.
International carriers will be able to take advantage of the common European Electronic Toll Service (EETS) platform – provided they have contracts with the platform’s providers, they will not need to perform any additional registration steps when traveling on toll roads in Lithuania.
Transport itineraries – without any additional disruptions
Unlike in some European countries, the Via Toll system being implemented in Lithuania will operate without physical toll gates or barriers – the distance traveled by trucks and passenger vehicles will be recorded using data from mobile apps or OBU devices. Therefore, after registering in the Via Toll system, entering the vehicle’s details, and using the app or OBU equipment, the driver will not need to make any additional stops, register the trip, or perform any other actions.
Additionally, for the convenience of system users, the self-service portal will offer the option to purchase single-trip tickets for those wishing to prepay for a planned route on toll roads.
The Via Toll system will be monitored by surveillance cameras – 268 such e-tolling control cameras are already in operation on Lithuanian roads. By 2027, it is planned to install approximately 230 new cameras – a public procurement for the expansion of the camera network will be announced shortly. These cameras will identify vehicles traveling on toll road sections and transmit the information to a system that will verify whether the toll has been paid. If a vehicle is detected traveling on a toll road without having paid the toll, information about the violation will be automatically transmitted to the system.
It is important to note that the Via Toll system will collect and process only the data necessary to calculate tolls for road use. The data will be handled in accordance with the highest security standards and data protection requirements. It will be stored in Lithuania using the infrastructure of the Telecentras State Data Center.
The solution is based on the experience of other European countries
In Lithuania, the Via Toll system is being implemented in collaboration with partners from Austria, the company Kapsch TrafficCom, whose electronic toll collection solutions are already in use in many European countries.
Systems developed by this company are in operation in Austria, Switzerland, France, Spain, Portugal, Bulgaria, and the Scandinavian countries. The company also develops advanced transport and traffic management systems in Germany, the U.S., and other countries.
The system being implemented in Lithuania will be tailored to local needs, but will also be based on technological solutions that have proven successful in other markets – a unified user interface on both the website and the mobile app, integration of various payment methods, and 24/7 system availability.