A new dawn for pay-per-mile tolling (also known as road user charging or RUC) is approaching with the announcement today (12 April 2023) that a satellite-based system to enable it is to be trialed in low emission zones in the cities of Munich, Germany, and Barcelona, Spain.

The proposed solution, which will have a two-month pilot phase and will involve around 1,000 citizens who will be provided with a dedicated app, will test a demand-driven pricing strategy, where users will be informed on the payment defined by a fixed fee to access the low emission zone, and a variable fee depending on the number of miles traveled, the level of usage and congestion at the time of access.

Abertis Mobility Services (AMS) will develop TDM (travel demand management) to simulate vehicle movement and traffic strategies as well as a back-office system.