
The International Road Federation has facilitated a two-day working seminar for leaders of Bulgaria’s Road Infrastructure Agency on delivering successful road tolling programs.
Animated by members of IRF’s Committee on Road User Charging, the seminar took stock of technological enablers and regulatory compliance models at a time when Bulgaria is exploring cost recovery mechanisms to address chronic road funding challenges.
A review of international best practices is an important step for decision-makers considering the deployment of roadtolling system. National road tolling markets are frequently characterized by a diverse array of systems and models, frequently as a result of legacy developments and national transportation policies, and comparing relative whole-life costs and strengths can be a daunting task.
Using business cases from around the world, the seminar reviewed existing approaches with a focus on successful methodologies and risk mitigation tools that maximize opportunities to deliver successful programs, ensure performance criteria are met over time, and effectively engage with a range of road transport stakeholders.
The IRF committee on road user charging was formed in 2015 to offer IRF members an opportunity to formulate technology-neutral recommendations that support informed policy-making and lead to cost-effective solutions where road user charging meets clearly identified mobility objectives and societal goals. The Committee co-chairs are Mr. Emmanuel Grandserre (4iCom) and Marc Ribo (Abertis Infrastructure).
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