Insight on Electronic Tolling

Conduent is a partner to state and local government agencies across the U.S. in support of their roadway and bridge tolling operations. These are governed by contracts that cover many aspects of these systems, including the infrastructure to record tolls as motorists use toll roads and bridges, the processing of tolls for payment and the collection of tolling payments for remittance to our government clients. Depending upon the contract, Conduent might provide these services as a complete, end-to-end solution or provide individual components in conjunction with other vendors.  

Our government clients have the sole authority to determine which roads or bridges will require tolls, the toll amounts and any monetary penalties for late toll payments. The government clients also have sole discretion to waive tolls or associated penalties for individual motorists for late payments.

Our government clients and the citizens they represent generally prefer automated electronic toll collection for several reasons. First, automated tolling allows for the free-flow of traffic, which reduces congestion, time delays and accident risk around toll booths. Automated tolling is also less costly to administer, reducing the need for government and taxpayer money. Finally, by virtue of eliminating automobile idling around toll collection booths, automated tolling helps reduce carbon monoxide emissions, creating a positive impact on the environment. 

Conduent is the industry leader in automated tolling, with over 1,800 tolling lanes and hosting some of the largest electronic tolling systems and associated customer service centers in the world.

During the implementation phase of a new toll or tolling system, certain transition issues may surface. 

One issue is citizen reaction to a new toll. When a new toll is imposed by our government client on a roadway or bridge that previously had none, motorists often express dissatisfaction that can sometimes be wrongly targeted at the toll system provider, even though the system is working as designed.

Another issue is the initialization period of a new tolling system. When implementing a new toll system, an initializing period is usually required as the old system is decommissioned and the new system ramps to full capacity, heading then toward a steady state. During this period, delays in processing toll payments due from motorists may be experienced. In such situations, extra time, resources and effort are invested to ensure tolling invoices are processed accurately and then sent to motorists in the most time-efficient manner.

Our tolling contracts with our government clients are awarded after a competitive bidding process and are for a fixed term. As the contract term nears its end, the law generally requires the government agency to again put the contract out for rebid. The contract is then re-awarded after a competitive bidding process. This process promotes public interest by allowing the government to obtain the best available tolling technology for the benefit of its citizens at the lowest available price. 

Conduent is committed to providing industry-leading customer service and a reliable, accurate and high-quality electronic toll collection systems for our government clients. Providing a seamless experience for our government clients and their citizens is our priority.