Road User Charging technology company Emovis has signed a contract with the Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles to implement the RUC program for three years with the potential for additional renewable years.
Virginia will join three other American states that have previously rolled out the solution: Oregon, Utah, and Washington.
The company says the increase in consumer ownership of fuel-efficient vehicles is great news for public health and the environment, but impacts highway funding that is sustained in part by federal and state gas taxes.
It explains that the RUC programme plays an important role in compensating for the loss of revenue from the increase in fuel efficient vehicles on the road and is an equitable way to ensure all vehicle owners pay their fair share of tax. Eligible vehicle owners will be given the choice during the annual vehicle registration process to pay a flat fee or opt for a pay-per-mile charge through the Mileage-Based User Fee program. The per-mile charges accumulated will be capped at the equivalent of the annual flat fee.
Emovis is currently the company offering Mileage-Based User Fee solutions in the United States. The solution that will be implemented in Virginia is based on the current proven and demonstrable success of the Utah Department of Transportation MBUF solution. It will be customised for VA DMV requirements.
Up to 1.9 million vehicles will, over time, be eligible for the Virginia programme which is expected to launch on 1 July.
“With the rise of Electrical Vehicles across Europe, several EU countries are currently looking at Road User Charging schemes,” explained Business Development Director Benoit Rossi. “While each scheme needs to be designed to specifically address countries’ policy goals, these projects provide a useful platform to fuel Europe’s road pricing vision and long term sustainability goals, says B. Rossi in charge of developing emovis activities in Europe, Middle East and Latin America.”
Benoit Rossi will be talking about this next week at Intertraffic Amsterdam, on Wednesday at 1.30 in Room G104.
(Picture – Emovis)
