GB2132399A

GB2132399A - Charging for the usage of roads

Info

Publication number: GB2132399A
Application number: GB08232727A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Kartsivanis Kosmas
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1982-11-16
Filing date: 1982-11-16
Publication date: 1984-07-04
Also published as: GB2132399B

Abstract

The present invention relates to a method of charging for the usage of roads in the town centre and for the payment of the tolls for vehicles of any type, which are equipped with a special instrument indicating the above usage. The vehicles are equipped with an instrument 6, which is set in operation by the driver during the movement of the vehicle in the town centre or during the passage of the vehicle from tolls, where the payment of the fees takes place at fixed periods at a certain authorised public service after recording the indication of the counter of the instrument by public authority. The instrument comprises a timer, a counter and an optical signal of operation (e.g. an indicator lamp), which are placed in a single cell which is sealed. When the instrument is set in operation by the driver, it records one unit for every 60 minutes providing an optical signal of substantial luminosity so that it can be visible during day and night. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Method of charging the usage of roads and instrument permanently mounted onto vehicles of all types for the application of the above method The background of the invention The present invention relates to a method of charging the usage of roads with special instruments, which are mounted on a vehicle and record the time the vehicle remains within a certain area and the passage of the vehicle from tolls. Thus the drivers of the vehicles do not have to pay directly at the parking meters or the tolls, but indirectly, that is once or twice a year at a public pay office according to the total indications of the instrument for this period.

The prior art has not invented such a method of charging the usage of roads. Thus up today the vehicles are usually charged by parking meters only when parking in the town centre and not while moving, and they have to stop for a direct payment at the tolls. This nevertheless creates an overloaded traffic, pollution of the surrroundings and a substantial hardship for the drivers who drive through the town centre or tolls and particularly during certain days and rush hours.

The usefulness of a method which would avert the usage of the roads if this was not absolutely necessary, is thereby apparent. Thus an attempt is being made in Singapore with the application of the measure of the supplementary licence for vehicles entering the town's commercial centre during morning rush, which resulted in a total reduction of traffic in the region of the supplementary licence by 43% and a reduction of the pollution from carbon monoxide by 1 5-20%.

In Italy on the other hand, the direct payment at tolls has been abolished and has been replaced with a mere recording of the time at which the vehicle passes the tolls. However the application of the above systems presents bureaucratic problems which can be overcome with the invented new method for charging the usage of roads.

The present invention eliminates the above problems of the prior art and ensures an efficient method for charging the usage of roads with advantages which will be made clear in the analytical description below.

One object of the invention is to provide an economic motive against the usage of vehicles in the town centre and especially during rush hours, which results in a reduction of the traffic, fuel economy and reduced pollution of the surroundings.

Another object of the invention is to provide a just and efficient measure for the reduction of traffice in the town centre, without making it necessary to use prohibitive measures or increase the price of fuel to achieve the above result.

Another object of the invention is the reduction of crowding and hardship of the drivers at the tolls since the application of the above method makes it unnecessary for the cars to stop at the tolls, which results in an additional economy of fuel and a reduction of pollution.

These and other advantages of the present invention will be made clear in the analytical description below.

Brief description of the drawings The present invention will be understood more fully by those skilled in the art, by reference to the accompanying drawings where an illustrative embodiment of the invention is shown.

Figure 1 shows a perspective view of vehicles which are equipped with the instrument for the application of the invented method for charging the usage of roads.

Figure 2 shows a plan view of the invented instrument.

Figure 3 shows a cross sectional view of the above instrument Analytical description of the invention According to a preferable embodiment of the invention as shown in the accompanying drawings, the instrument (6) comprises a timer, a counter and an optical signal. All the above are embodied in a common cell made from a strong material, which has preferably a diameter of about 10 cm and can be provided with a "cupping" arrrangement so that it may be rigidly fixed onto the back glass surface of the vehicle's windscreen.

The timer is preferably of a maximum operation period of one hour and indicates minutes with the pointer (7). The time indications must be viewable so that the official controller will be able to decide whether the instrument was not put in operation when the driver of the vehicle noticed the presence of the controller. The timer can be of the mechanical, electromechanical or electronic type.

The counter (7) is preferably comprised of six digits so that it cannot be intentionally set to zero, and it records one unit for every 60 minutes recorded by the timer. The timer (5) is also equipped with a special arrangement for decelerating its start of operation, so that if we momentarily wish to stop its operation and we attempt to set it in operation immediately afterwards we will now be able to do so, but we will have to wait one-two minutes.

Finally, the instrument is equipped with a special optical signal, which is indicative of the operation of the timer and automatically falis at a stationary position when the time of operation of the instrument ends. According to a preferable embodiment of the invention the instrument is provided with an indicator lamp (1) which is lit when the instrument is connected at a power source, and an indicator-lamp (2) which is lit when the timer operates.

In case the instrument (6) is electrical, it will be provided with a lead (8) with a special plug connected to the vehicle's battery.

The panel of the instrument is provided with a State seal (3), and the instrument is sealed with a lead seal (4) in the same way as the counters of electricity, water, gas, etc., to make it inviolable.

The instrument is preferably set in operation manually by the driver when he notices a traffic sign warning for the entrance in the town centre or the passage from tolls. The control of the operation of the instrument by policemen is easy since the light emitted by the special indicatorlamp (2) is intense and of a certain colour so that it can be distinguished day and night from faraway without any special effort, but without it being blinding as well.

The payment of units recorded by the counter can be performed once or twice a year, when each driver brings at the authorised public service (e.g. at a Public Pay-office) a document sealed by Police authority, where the units of operation of the instrument will be written.

It is obvious that the method described above for charging the usage of roads and the instrument permanently mounted onto vehicles for the application of the above method comprise a revolutionary innovation which requires an analytical technical-econmical study before its application. For each particular State a series of organizational measures must be taken to solve any problems encountered in the application of the above method.

It must hereby be noted that the description of the above invention has been made by reference to an illustrative drawing and is not limited to this particular example. The application of the method is also possible using other ways, drawings and accessories, and any amendment or change to the above, which does not comprise a new inventive step, does not limit rights claimed for the present invention.

Claims

1. Method for charging the usage of roads in the town centre and payment of the tolls of all types of vehicles, characterised by that each vehicle is equipped with a special instrument which is permanently mounted on vehicles and which is set in operation by the driver during movement of the vehicle in the town centre or during passage of the vehicle from tolls, where the payment of the fees is made in fixed periods at a certain authorised public service after recording the indication of the counter of the instrument by an authorised public authority.

2. Instrument permanently placed in all types of vehicles for the application of the method of claim 1, characterised by that it comprises a timer, a counter and an optical signal of operation of the instrument, where the above are placed within a common cell, which is mounted in the vehicle and is sealed with a State seal and a lead seal to protect it from violation, and where when the said organ is set in operation by the driver the said timer starts to operate which counts up to 60 minutes and for each 60 minutes the indication of the said counter increases by one unit, where during the operation of the said instrument an optical signal is provided e.g. an indicator-lamp of such a luminosity that it can be easily visible during day and night.

3. Instrument permanently mounted all types of vehicles for the application of claim 1, which can be of mechanical, electromechanical or electronic type and which is shown in the accompanying drawings.