Measuring Drivers’ Attitudes Toward Use of Electronic Toll Collection Systems in Spain

Abstract

Electronic payment is increasing inexorably as a means of paying for the use of toll roads worldwide. However, it is necessary to increase the effectiveness and expediency of this mechanism, as well as improve policy issues such as privacy or data management. The state of the art in this field typically analyzes users’ perceptions and willingness to pay to use toll roads. However, research addressing drivers’ attitudes toward the use of electronic toll collection (ETC) systems is not sufficiently developed. The aim of this paper is to identify the explanatory variables influencing toll road users’ use of ETC technologies. For that purpose, based on a nationwide survey directed toward road users of interurban toll roads in Spain, a binomial logit model was developed to explore users’ attitudes toward the use of ETC systems. The research concludes that drivers’ tag ownership is related mainly to trip-related attributes, while personal socioeconomic characteristics play a minor role. In addition, free tags would be an effective policy measure to increase toll road use, given that a majority of respondents show a positive response.

Get full access to this article

View all access options for this article.

References

Hsu

, and Shih

. A Traffic Signal Control Mechanism in a Connected Vehicle Environment. In Proceedings of 2015 IEEE International Conference on Consumer Electronics, Taiwan, 2015, pp. 256–257.

Jou

R. C.

, Chiou

Y. C.

, Kuo

C. W.

, and Tan

H. I.

. Freeway Drivers’ Willingness to Pay for an On Board Unit Under an Electronic Toll Collection System. Transportation Research Part C: Emerging Technologies, Vol. 27, 2013, pp. 16–24. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.trc.2012.11.002.

Chang

E. C.-P.

, Wu

M. F.

, and Chang

Y. C.

. Successful Taiwan Freeway Electronic Toll Collection (ETC) Implementation through Intelligent Transport System (ITS). Presented at 11th Asia-Pacific Transportation Development Conference and 29th ICTPA Annual Conference. ASCE, Reston, Va., and Hsinchu, Taiwan, 2016, pp. 86–92.

Hayward

Electronic Toll Collection Systems in Europe. Clean Mobility Intelligent Transportation Systems, 2015, pp. 135–156. https://doi.org/10.1049/PBTR001E_ch7.

Mizutani

, and Uranishi

. Privatization of the Japan Highway Public Corporation: Focusing on Organizational Structure Change. Transport Reviews, Vol. 28, No. 4, 2008, pp. 469–493. https://doi.org/10.1080/01441640701791749.

Venter

C. J.

, and Joubert

J. W.

. Tax or Toll? GPS-Based Assessment of Equity Impacts of Large-Scale Electronic Freeway Tolling in Gauteng, South Africa. Transportation Research Record: Journal of the Transportation Research Board, No. 2450, 2013, pp. 62–70. https://dx-doi-org.web.bisu.edu.cn/10.3141/2450-08.

, and Hensher

. Toll Roads in Australia: An Overview of Characteristics and Accuracy of Demand Forecasts. Transport Reviews, Vol. 30, No. 5, 2010, pp. 541–569. https://doi.org/10.1080/01441640903211173.

McKenzie

Customer Relationship Management and Customer Recovery and Retention: The Case of the 407 Express Toll Route. Knowledge Management Research and Practice, Vol. 6, No. 2, 2008, pp. 155–163. https://doi.org/10.1057/kmrp.2008.5.

Caneschi

CEN Standardization of the Electronic Toll Systems Architecture. Presented at 7th International Conference on ITS, Pisa, Italy, 2007. https://doi.org/10.1109/ITST.2007.4295893.

10.

Abuzwidah

, and Abdel-Aty

. Safety Assessment of the Conversion of Toll Plazas to All-Electronic Toll Collection System. Accident, Analysis, and Prevention, Vol. 80, 2015, pp. 153–161. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.aap.2015.03.039.

11.

Gomez

, Papanikolaou

, and Vassallo

J. M.

. Users’ Perceptions and Willingness to Pay in Interurban Toll Roads: Identifying Differences Across Regions from a Nationwide Survey in Spain. Transportation (Amsterdam), 2015, pp. 1–26. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11116-015-9662-6.

12.

Heras-Molina

, Gomez

, and Vassallo

. Interoperability of Electronic Toll Collection Systems Throughout Europe. Is It Possible? Presented at 6th Transport Research Arena, Warsaw, Poland, 2016.

13.

Golden Gate Bridge and Highway and Transportation District. Golden Gate Bridge, 2016. http://goldengate.org/tolls/.

14.

Infraestruturas de Portugal. Portugal Tolls. 2016. http://www.portugaltolls.com/web/portal-de-portagens/home.

15.

Memarian

, Jeong

D. H. S.

, and Uhm

. Effects of Survey Techniques on On-Board Survey Performance. Transport Policy, Vol. 21, 2012, pp. 52–62. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tranpol.2012.01.006.

16.

Button

Transportation Research, 1996, p. 165.

17.

Zangui

, Yin

, Lawphongpanich

, and Chen

. Differentiated Congestion Pricing of Urban Transportation Networks with Vehicle-Tracking Technologies. Transportation Research, Part C: Emerging Technologies, Vol. 36, 2013, pp. 434–445. https://dx-doi-org.web.bisu.edu.cn/10.1016/j.trc.2013.06.011.

18.

Schade

, and Baum

. Reactance or Acceptance? Reactions Towards the Introduction of Road Pricing. Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Vol. 41, No. 1, 2007, pp. 41–48. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tra.2006.05.008.

19.

Odeck

, and Kjerkreit

. Evidence on Users’ Attitudes Toward Road User Charges—A Cross-Sectional Survey of Six Norwegian Toll Schemes. Transport Policy, Vol. 17, No. 6, 2010, pp. 349–358. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tranpol.2010.04.001.

20.

Kottenhoff

, and Brundell Freij

. The Role of Public Transport for Feasibility and Acceptability of Congestion Charging—The Case of Stockholm. Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Vol. 43, No. 3, 2009, pp. 297–305. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tra.2008.09.004.

21.

Yim

Electronic Toll Collection System (ETC) User Survey. EEUU, Berkeley, Calif., 1991.

22.

2012 Road User Satisfaction Survey. Limelight, 2012.

23.

Jou

R. C.

, Chiou

Y. C.

, and Ke

J. C.

. Impacts of Impression Changes on Freeway Driver Intention to Adopt Electronic Toll Collection Service. Transportation Research Part C: Emerging Technologies, Vol. 19, No. 6, 2011, pp. 945–956. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.trc.2011.05.002.

24.

Eliasson

Lessons from the Stockholm Congestion Charging Trial. Transport Policy, Vol. 15, No. 6, 2008, pp. 395–404. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tranpol.2008.12.004.

25.

Kaparias

, and Bell

M. G. H.

. London Congestion Charging: Successes, Gaps and Future Opportunities Offered by Cooperative ITS. In Proceedings of IEEE Conference on Intelligent Transport Systems, 2012, pp. 134–139. https://doi.org/10.1109/ITSC.2012.6338687.

26.

Los Transportes y Las Infraestructuras: Informe Anual 2015. Ministerio de Fomento, Madrid, Spain, 2016.

27.

Vassallo

J. M.

, Ortega

, and Baeza

M. Á.

. Impact of the Economic Recession on Toll Highway Concessions in Spain. Journal of Management Engineering, Vol. 28, No. 4, 2012, pp. 398–406. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)ME.1943-5479.0000108.

28.

Matas

, Raymond

J. L.

, and Ruiz

. Traffic Forecasts Under Uncertainty and Capacity Constraints. Transportation (Amsterdam), Vol. 39, No. 1, 2012, pp. 1–17. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11116-011-9325-1.

29.

Central Intelligence Agency. Country Comparison: Roadways. 2016. https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/rankorder/2085rank.html.

30.

Bueno

, Gomez

, and Manuel

. Exploring Variations in Users’ Acceptability Toward Different Road Pricing Schemes. Presented at 6th European Transport Research Conference, 2016.

31.

Prato

C. G.

Route Choice Modeling: Past, Present, and Future Research Directions. Journal of Choice Modelling, Vol. 2, No. 1, 2009, pp. 65–100. https://doi.org/10.1016/S1755-5345(13)70005-8.

32.

Ben-Akiva

, and Bierlaire

. Discrete Choice Methods and Their Applications to Short-Term Travel Decisions. In Handbook of Transportation Science, 2003, pp. 7–37. https://doi.org/10.1007/0-306-48058-1_2.

33.

Ben-Akiva

M. E.

, and Lerman

S. R.

. Discrete Choice Analysis: Theory and Application to Travel Demand. MIT Press, Cambridge, Mass., 1995.

34.

Lindner

, and Pitombo

C. S.

. Modelo logit binomial com componentes principais para estimação de preferência por modo de transporte motorizado. Journal of Transport Literature, Vol. 10, No. 3, 2016, pp. 5–9. https://doi.org/10.1590/2238-1031.jtl.v10n3a1.

35.

Louviere

J. J.

, Street

, Burgess

, Wasi

, Islam

, and Marley

. Modeling the Choices of Individual Decision-Makers by Combining Efficient Choice Experiment Designs with Extra Preference Information. Journal of Choice Modelling, Vol. 1, No. 1, 2008, pp. 128–164. https://doi.org/10.1016/S1755-5345(13)70025-3.

36.

Gujarati

D. N.

Basic Econometrics. McGraw Hill, 2003.

37.

Hensher

D. A.

, and Johnson

L. W.

. Applied Discrete Choice Modeling. Croom Helm, London, 1981.

38.

Saber

, Ventresque

, and Murphy

. ROThAr: Real-Time On-Line Traffic Assignment with Load Estimation. In Proceedings of IEEE International Symposium on Distributed Simulation and Real-Time Applications, 2013, pp. 79–86. https://doi.org/10.1109/DS-RT.2013.17.