Lithuania’s new road toll system can be used via a smartphone: what makes this technology so unique?
The Via Toll electronic toll system, set to launch in Lithuania in 2027, will have a unique feature: transport operators will be able to use their own smartphones or tablets to track the distance travelled. Once the Via Toll app is installed, no additional specialized equipment will be required, so carriers with one or more vehicles will be able to use the new system without any additional investment.
“We are in the finishing stages. The Via Toll system, which will come into operation in Lithuania from 1 January, will introduce a fairer road toll system, widely used across Europe. It is equally important to us that the new system is as easy as possible for hauliers to use. This won’t require spending extra money on special equipment, as the distance travelled can be recorded and the toll calculated simply using a smartphone. However, our aim is not merely to collect tolls. All these funds will be reinvested in Lithuania’s roads, and people will soon notice that road conditions are improving,” says Juras Taminskas, Minister of Transport and Communications.
“We aim to make the new Via Toll system as easy to use as possible for different transport operators and to ensure it does not require additional investment in specialized equipment. Therefore, it will be suitable for those with one or several vehicles as well as for those managing large fleets. The system will track the distance a vehicle travels on toll roads and automatically calculate the toll amount based on that,” says Andrius Teškevičius, Program Manager for the Via Toll program in the Strategy and Development Group at Via Lietuva.
According to A. Teškevičius, the Austrian company Kapsch TrafficCom, which is implementing the Via Toll solution in Lithuania, is one of the leaders in electronic toll collection solutions in Europe. Such toll collection solutions, based on the Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS), have been implemented in Belgium, Bulgaria, the Netherlands, and Switzerland.
Innovations Based on Previous Experience
The Via Toll system being implemented by the company in Lithuania will stand out from solutions used in other countries thanks to several innovations.
“Lithuania is the first country to implement a toll collection system of this kind, in which the “bring your own device” (BYOD) principle is integrated with a smartphone app specifically designed for toll collection,” says Michael Weber, Head of Sales for Europe, the Middle East, and Africa at Kapsch TrafficCom.
According to M. Weber, the “bring your own device” (BYOD) principle means that future Via Toll users will not need to purchase specialized equipment to use the system via the mobile app.
Users will be able to register and manage their vehicle fleet through this app, and they’ll need to launch it before each trip to track the distance travelled. Once the trip is completed and marked as such in the app, the toll amount will be calculated automatically.
However, this innovation does not mean that untested technologies are being implemented in Lithuania. According to a representative of “Kapsch TrafficCom,” individual system functions have already been adapted for use in other projects, but Lithuania will be the first country where these elements are combined into a single solution.
The Via Toll system will also be accessible through on-board units (OBUs) installed in vehicles or via contracts with European Electronic Toll Service (EETS) providers. For occasional journeys, or when the route to be taken on toll roads is known in advance, it will be possible to purchase a route-pass via the Via Toll self-service portal.
Distance will be measured using satellite data
The Via Toll system being implemented in Lithuania will utilize the latest satellite geolocation technology platform and a central system administration (“back-office”) platform. They will operate as a single integrated system.
All of this will make it possible to accurately track a specific vehicle’s movement on toll roads, record the actual distance travelled, and calculate the toll amount accordingly.
According to Kapsch TrafficCom, a flexible electronic toll collection solution based on satellite geolocation is best suited for the structure of Lithuania’s toll road network, which consists of highways, arterial roads, and regional roads.
Such a solution allows tolls to be administered electronically without disrupting traffic flow with physical barriers and without incurring additional costs associated with accounting for each trip by other means.
The Austrian company has already implemented similar solutions in other European countries, so, according to M. Weber, adapting the technology to the specific characteristics of the Lithuanian road network does not pose any major technological challenges currently.
A Technological Foundation for the Roads of the Future
In the future, Via Toll’s technological capabilities may also help analyse aggregate road usage and traffic trends. Such information could supplement the data used in planning road infrastructure development and evaluating traffic safety solutions.
“The road usage data generated by the system can help Via Lietuva better understand traffic trends, identify potential road safety issues, and contribute to decisions regarding the future expansion of the national road network,” notes M. Weber.
Via Toll, which will go into effect in Lithuania on January 1, 2027, will replace the current vignettes. Owners of vehicles in categories M2, M3, N1, N2, and N3 will pay tolls based on the actual distance travelled on toll roads. Drivers of passenger vehicles in category M1 will not be subject to this system; they will not face any new road tolls.