Kapsch [VIE: KTCG]
Intelligent Tolling Architectures for Modern Mobility

Road authorities are under growing pressure to collect revenue without disrupting the flow of traffic. At the same time, they must accommodate connected vehicles and adapt to charging models shaped by changing mobility patterns. These demands are placing tolling systems worldwide under increasing pressure to become more responsive and integrated. To keep traffic moving efficiently, authorities need to connect roadside technology, vehicle data, enforcement and back-office operations within a unified system.

Kapsch [VIE: KTCG] approaches this mobility challenge by combining tolling technologies with software, data processing and operational expertise to support complex road networks at varying stages of technological maturity.

From Tolling to Infrastructure

Kapsch’s intelligent traffic systems and solutions support all-electronic tolling through a combination of roadside equipment, communications technologies, vehicle identification and robust back-office systems. From tag-based tolling using RFID and DSRC to video-based tolling using automatic number plate recognition, the company’s portfolio of integrated traffic management solutions helps authorities advance their sustainable mobility objectives. Systems that process the resulting data, back-office platforms that can be deployed in the cloud or on premises and flexible configuration allow authorities to avoid forcing every road network into a single technical model. Kapsch describes its approach as technology agnostic, developing systems that range from conventional plaza-based systems to GNSS and connected-vehicle solutions.

Its Multi-Lane Free Flow (MLFF) facilitates smoother mobility by eliminating the need for vehicles to stop at toll booths. MLFF uses electronic identification and vehicle detection to collect charges while traffic continues through the toll point. Kapsch combines video-based ANPR with RF-based tolling, allowing authorities to select or combine approaches according to their requirements. The Operian platform brings intelligent processing into the tolling environment, leveraging AI-powered image analysis to support vehicle identification and classification.

This represents a significant shift as tolling infrastructure increasingly becomes part of a wider mobility system. A roadside installation is no longer simply a collection point. It also becomes a source of data that can support charging, compliance and traffic management. Kapsch’s portfolio reflects this shift by connecting roadside systems with back-office processing, enforcement and location-specific solutions. The result is an architecture that can support established tolling models as well as newer approaches based on distance, location, vehicle characteristics and time.

Designed for Different Roads

Kapsch uses GNSS data to determine vehicle positions and calculate charges according to criteria such as road type, vehicle classification, emissions class and axle count. The technology can draw data from dedicated onboard units, aftermarket telematics devices and connected vehicles.

Using the same framework, authorities responding to changes in fuel taxation can configure charging according to factors such as location, time of day, vehicle type, vehicle size and emissions class. This gives authorities a technical framework through which different policy objectives can be implemented and adjusted. Kapsch’s role therefore extends beyond prescribing a single charging model. It focuses on providing the systems needed to support different models across different road environments.

With an emphasis on interoperability, Kapsch’s location-based charging systems can be integrated with existing mobility solutions and operate across technologies including video, DSRC, RFID and GNSS. This capability becomes increasingly important as road authorities modernise infrastructure incrementally rather than replacing entire systems at once. The practical advantage is continuity. Existing assets can remain part of the architecture while newer capabilities are introduced where they add value. For large networks, that flexibility can make technological change more manageable.

To illustrate the scale at which this model is being applied, Kapsch reports 470 completed projects across more than 50 countries, with its transportation systems reaching 125 million people. Its published deployments include nationwide tolling as well as urban mobility programmes. One example is Maryland, where its statewide all-electronic tolling system processes 244 million transactions annually. These deployments demonstrate the ability of its solutions and underlying technology to support high transaction volumes across varied operating conditions.

Turning Data into Results

In Serbia, Kapsch reported in July 2026 that its MLFF Operian tolling system on the Belgrade ring road had surpassed one million monthly transactions. The project demonstrates the move towards tolling systems that combine automated vehicle identification with digital transaction processing at scale. Rather than treating free-flow tolling as a standalone roadside technology, the deployment brings together detection, charging and supporting systems within a broader operating environment.

Kapsch is also continuing to refine the physical technology at the roadside. Its VDX camera system consolidates multiple sensor technologies for vehicle detection, classification and identification. The company says the platform is built on more than 25 years of development in vehicle detection and identification and has been deployed in tolling projects around the world. The significance lies not simply in the camera itself.

This simplified systems design becomes even more relevant in managed lanes, where tolling is used alongside traffic management. Kapsch’s solution combines dynamic pricing algorithms with trip-building capabilities to help road operators influence demand and improve traffic flow. Such systems are tailored to the objectives of individual authorities, whether that means managing congestion, improving journey reliability or supporting infrastructure financing. Here, tolling becomes one mechanism within a broader transport strategy, linking pricing decisions with real-time traffic information and road capacity.

The broader direction is clear. Connected vehicles, GNSS, cloud platforms, AI-assisted analytics and increasingly digital road infrastructure are changing what tolling systems can accomplish. Kapsch’s positioning rests on bringing these technologies into an integrated architecture that can accommodate a range of operating models. That combination of breadth, integration and practical deployment experience gives authorities a way to modernise while preserving flexibility.

Intelligent tolling solutions sit at the intersection of revenue collection, traffic management and connected mobility. Kapsch plays an important role in this mobility ecosystem by developing tolling solutions capable of handling today’s traffic while adapting to tomorrow’s vehicles and charging models.