On June 27, Minsk /BelTA correspondent/. Toll collection on certain roads in Belarus using the electronic system (BelToll) will commence on August 1. This was announced on June 26 to journalists by the Minister of Transport and Communications of Belarus, Anatoly Sivak, as reported by a BelTA correspondent.
Previously, the commercial operation of the national electronic toll collection system was scheduled to start on July 1. However, from that date, the system will operate in test mode for a month, the minister clarified. This decision has been prepared by the Ministry of Transport jointly with specialists from Kapsch TrafficCom AG and is currently under consideration by the government.
An additional press conference on this matter is scheduled for July 1.
Anatoly Sivak informed that drivers will need to purchase an electronic on-board unit on a deposit basis and install it in their vehicles. "While travelling across the country, drivers will receive information about the mileage and the amount of funds spent. On our part, we will be able to identify negative aspects in the work of personnel or equipment, and thus, test BelToll," explained the head of the Ministry of Transport. He noted that from July 1, drivers will not be subject to penalties for travelling on toll roads without the necessary devices. "However, we will be working to ensure that those who do not have on-board units purchase them in advance to avoid a transport collapse on August 1," the minister summarised. Additionally, he reported that the issue of the possibility of paying the deposit for on-board units via non-cash payment should be resolved in the coming days.
Throughout July, work will be carried out to adjust all operational functions of the system, conclude contracts with users of the toll road network, establish working procedures for operational services and payment collection monitoring services, and for collecting, analysing, and classifying information about registered users.
As reported, the main advantage of the electronic system will be that drivers will not need to stop to make payments, as is currently the case. New technologies will allow vehicles to travel at the maximum permitted speed without changing lanes – payment will be debited automatically, for which the road will be equipped with appropriate portals fitted with laser sensors, video and photo cameras, which will record the passage of vehicles. On-board electronic payment devices must be installed on vehicles (typically on the windscreen). There are two types of such devices – for cars and trucks, which differ in size.
Registration in the BelToll system began in Belarus on June 3. You can register and create your user account on the official BelToll website, as well as at customer service points located in the regional centres.
A total of 815 km of the country's roads will become toll roads. At the first stage, this applies to the entire length of the M-1/E30 Brest (Kozlovichi) – Minsk – Russian border (Redki) highway, as well as individual sections of the M-2 Minsk – National Airport Minsk, M-3 Minsk – Vitebsk, M-4 Minsk – Mogilev, M-5/E 271 Minsk – Gomel and M-6/E 28 Minsk – Grodno – Polish border (Bruzgi) motorways.
In accordance with Decree No. 426 of September 27, 2012, vehicles registered in the territory of the states participating in the Customs Union with a technically permissible total mass not exceeding 3.5 tons are exempt from road tolls. Mopeds and motorcycles registered in Belarus, wheeled tractors and self-propelled machines, operational vehicles, as well as those used for defence and law and order purposes will be able to travel for free. Drivers of minibuses for urban passenger transport, vehicles used for medical assistance, emergency response, or the transportation of humanitarian aid to the population of Belarus and other countries will not have to pay.
The Austrian company Kapsch TrafficCom AG, acting as an investor, will invest more than 267 million euros in total in the implementation of the BelToll system creation project in Belarus. The investment agreement stipulates that after each stage of equipment is commissioned by the investor, it is accepted into the ownership of Belarus.-0-
News of Belarus (BELTA)