OGS (electronic toll collection)
Encyclopedia
OGS, acronym for Otomatik Geçis Sistemi (literally: Automatic Pass System), is an electronic toll collection
system of radio-frequency identification (RFID) transponder
type available on toll road
s and toll bridge
s in Turkey
. The system was adopted to avoid traffic congestion
at toll plazas. An alternative to OGS is the KGS system of smart card
type implemented later on at the same toll plazas.
The OGS is currently installed on the intercity motorways , , , and and the bridges Bosphorus Bridge
on and Fatih Sultan Mehmet Bridge
on over the Istanbul Strait. The system is administrated by the General Directorate of Highways
.
The OGS system involves the fixing of the tag on the inside of the vehicle's windshield, mostly behind the rear-view mirror. However, at some car brands, the tag has to be attached on the windshield's inside bottom. At the toll plaza, the vehicle has to drive to a toll booth
on the OGS-only assigned lane. OGS-lanes are always leftmost passing lane
s, and they are designated at some distance before the toll plaza. However, there are also additional OGS-booths on the right side of toll plazas dedicated to heavy vehicles. The booth is marked with OGS-sign at the top. A flashing green light at the top signals its usability. The battery-driven tag communicates with the reader device built into the toll collection equipment at the toll booth as the vehicle passes through. It is not needed that the vehicle stops. However, a speed limit of 30 km/h (18.6 mph) is recommended to avoid accidents before the booth.
Vehicles are classified for toll purposes in five categories based on the wheelbase
and the number of axle
s. If the number of axles of a vehicle is less than the maximum number of axles -because some axles of a truck are lifted up or a tractor is running without its trailer-, the integrated automated vehicle classification system changes the vehicle category read in to the actual one during the passage allowing a lower toll tariff. The bridge toll is fixed for each vehicle category, and is charged only once in eastward direction on the two bridges in Istanbul. The road toll is rated further depending on the distance driven between the entry and the exit of motorway for each vehicle category. For this reason, a signal has to be initiated on the OGS-lane by entering the motorway. OGS users benefit from 20% discount at all toll roads and bridges in Turkey.
The tag can sound in two different modes: One beep
indicates that tolling was successful. Four consecutive beeps mean insufficient credit on the tag's account. If the tag does not sound at the next three or four passes, it is most likely that whether the tag is out of order or it is being used in an incorrect way. In this case, the tag has to be tested by the highway authortiy, since untolled passes more than ten times is absolutely not allowed.
At the toll booth's exit, an electronic display summarizes the tolling process showing one of the following eight messages:
s at toll booths on OGS-lanes. If the tolling process is not successful, a lamp under the electronic message display at the exit of the OGS booth turns yellow for a short time, and the display shows the message "CEZALI GEÇİŞ, KAÇIŞ" (Violation, escape) adding vehicle's category and the amount of fine. Further, the driver is warned by a loud electronic horn at the booth, and the vehicle is photographed as well for evidence.
In case of unmatched vehicle category, the tag's account is charged with the actual category. However, the driver is warned by the booth horn, and the vehicle is photographed. Tag's account is charged with additional fine in amount of double maximum toll for each violation. Vehicle is blacklisted when this type of violation occurs more than ten times. Vehicles on blacklist or vehicles without tag or with another vehicle's tag are charged with fine as high as the eleven times of toll amount.
Vehicle owners or drivers can query information about their violation online or at a call center. Payment of the fine within 15 days following the violation notice's receipt enables 25% discount according to Turkish law.
Electronic toll collection
Electronic toll collection , an adaptation of military "identification friend or foe" technology, aims to eliminate the delay on toll roads by collecting tolls electronically. It is thus a technological implementation of a road pricing concept...
system of radio-frequency identification (RFID) transponder
Transponder
In telecommunication, the term transponder has the following meanings:...
type available on toll road
Toll road
A toll road is a privately or publicly built road for which a driver pays a toll for use. Structures for which tolls are charged include toll bridges and toll tunnels. Non-toll roads are financed using other sources of revenue, most typically fuel tax or general tax funds...
s and toll bridge
Toll bridge
A toll bridge is a bridge over which traffic may pass upon payment of a toll, or fee.- History :The practice of collecting tolls on bridges probably harks back to the days of ferry crossings where people paid a fee to be ferried across stretches of water. As boats became impractical to carry large...
s in Turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
. The system was adopted to avoid traffic congestion
Traffic congestion
Traffic congestion is a condition on road networks that occurs as use increases, and is characterized by slower speeds, longer trip times, and increased vehicular queueing. The most common example is the physical use of roads by vehicles. When traffic demand is great enough that the interaction...
at toll plazas. An alternative to OGS is the KGS system of smart card
Smart card
A smart card, chip card, or integrated circuit card , is any pocket-sized card with embedded integrated circuits. A smart card or microprocessor cards contain volatile memory and microprocessor components. The card is made of plastic, generally polyvinyl chloride, but sometimes acrylonitrile...
type implemented later on at the same toll plazas.
The OGS is currently installed on the intercity motorways , , , and and the bridges Bosphorus Bridge
Bosphorus Bridge
The Bosphorus Bridge, also called the First Bosphorus Bridge is one of the two bridges in Istanbul, Turkey, spanning the Bosphorus strait and thus connecting Europe and Asia The bridge is located between Ortaköy and Beylerbeyi The Bosphorus Bridge, also called the First Bosphorus Bridge is...
on and Fatih Sultan Mehmet Bridge
Fatih Sultan Mehmet Bridge
The Fatih Sultan Mehmet Bridge, also known as the Second Bosphorus Bridge , is a bridge in Istanbul, Turkey spanning the Bosphorus strait...
on over the Istanbul Strait. The system is administrated by the General Directorate of Highways
General Directorate of Highways (Turkey)
The General Directorate of Highways is a state agency in charge of the construction and maintenance of all public roadways outside of cities and towns in Turkey. It was established on March 1, 1950 following the acceptance of the International Highways Act in 1949. The agency is a sub unit of the...
.
Tolling
The radio transponder, also known as tag, can be obtained from the office of toll plazas, authorized major banks, mobile points of sales and at internet as well, after signing an agreement. The tag is issued for a specific licence plate and so for a specific vehicle category. It cannot be transferred without notice to the provider. The tags slightly differ in size and form depending on the provider, and can be replaced within the guarantee limit, which varies from three to five years. Before using OGS, the tag's account has to be credited.The OGS system involves the fixing of the tag on the inside of the vehicle's windshield, mostly behind the rear-view mirror. However, at some car brands, the tag has to be attached on the windshield's inside bottom. At the toll plaza, the vehicle has to drive to a toll booth
Toll house
A tollhouse or toll house is a building with accommodation for a toll collector, beside a tollgate on a toll road or canal. Many tollhouses were built by turnpike trusts in England, Wales and Scotland during the 18th and early 19th centuries...
on the OGS-only assigned lane. OGS-lanes are always leftmost passing lane
Passing lane
A passing lane or overtaking lane is the lane on a multi-lane highway or motorway closest to the center of the road ....
s, and they are designated at some distance before the toll plaza. However, there are also additional OGS-booths on the right side of toll plazas dedicated to heavy vehicles. The booth is marked with OGS-sign at the top. A flashing green light at the top signals its usability. The battery-driven tag communicates with the reader device built into the toll collection equipment at the toll booth as the vehicle passes through. It is not needed that the vehicle stops. However, a speed limit of 30 km/h (18.6 mph) is recommended to avoid accidents before the booth.
Vehicles are classified for toll purposes in five categories based on the wheelbase
Wheelbase
In both road and rail vehicles, the wheelbase is the distance between the centers of the front and rear wheels.- Road :In automobiles, the wheelbase is the horizontal distance between the center of the front wheel and the center of the rear wheel...
and the number of axle
Axle
An axle is a central shaft for a rotating wheel or gear. On wheeled vehicles, the axle may be fixed to the wheels, rotating with them, or fixed to its surroundings, with the wheels rotating around the axle. In the former case, bearings or bushings are provided at the mounting points where the axle...
s. If the number of axles of a vehicle is less than the maximum number of axles -because some axles of a truck are lifted up or a tractor is running without its trailer-, the integrated automated vehicle classification system changes the vehicle category read in to the actual one during the passage allowing a lower toll tariff. The bridge toll is fixed for each vehicle category, and is charged only once in eastward direction on the two bridges in Istanbul. The road toll is rated further depending on the distance driven between the entry and the exit of motorway for each vehicle category. For this reason, a signal has to be initiated on the OGS-lane by entering the motorway. OGS users benefit from 20% discount at all toll roads and bridges in Turkey.
The tag can sound in two different modes: One beep
Beep (sound)
A beep is a single tone onomatopoeia, generally made by a computer or a machine.-Use in computers:In some computer terminals, the ASCII character code 7, bell character, outputs an audible beep. The beep is also sometimes used to notify the user when the BIOS is not working or there is some other...
indicates that tolling was successful. Four consecutive beeps mean insufficient credit on the tag's account. If the tag does not sound at the next three or four passes, it is most likely that whether the tag is out of order or it is being used in an incorrect way. In this case, the tag has to be tested by the highway authortiy, since untolled passes more than ten times is absolutely not allowed.
At the toll booth's exit, an electronic display summarizes the tolling process showing one of the following eight messages:
- GÜLE GÜLE (Good bye): Tolling was successful. Vehicle category and toll amount are shown also.
- KREDİ AZ (Credit insufficient): Amont of credit at tag's bank account is insufficient. Payment onto account is needed.
- KAÇIŞ (Escape): Vehicle without tag or with unreadable tag. Refrain from further passes.
- KARA LST (Blacklist): Tag on blacklist. Do not pass.
- S. FARKLI (Different vehicle category) Vehicle's category on the tag does not match the actual category. Do not pass.
- U DÖNÜŞÜ (U-turn): Vehicle performed U-turn by exiting the same toll station it entered. Vehicle is tolled at the maximum distance tariff.
- GİRİŞ YOK (No entry): Vehicle's tag has no information about entry station. Vehicle is tolled at the maximum distance tariff.
- SÜRE DOLU (Driving time exceeded): Vehicle overstayed at the motorway. Vehicle is tolled at the maximum distance tariff.
- TANIMSIZ (Undefined): Improper tag. Do not pass.
Violation
In order to allow uninterrupted pass, there are no gate armBoom barrier
A boom barrier is a bar, or pole pivoted in such a way as to allow the boom to block vehicular access through a controlled point. Typically the tip of a boom gate rises in a vertical arc to a near vertical position. Boom gates are often counterweighted, so the pole is easily tipped...
s at toll booths on OGS-lanes. If the tolling process is not successful, a lamp under the electronic message display at the exit of the OGS booth turns yellow for a short time, and the display shows the message "CEZALI GEÇİŞ, KAÇIŞ" (Violation, escape) adding vehicle's category and the amount of fine. Further, the driver is warned by a loud electronic horn at the booth, and the vehicle is photographed as well for evidence.
In case of unmatched vehicle category, the tag's account is charged with the actual category. However, the driver is warned by the booth horn, and the vehicle is photographed. Tag's account is charged with additional fine in amount of double maximum toll for each violation. Vehicle is blacklisted when this type of violation occurs more than ten times. Vehicles on blacklist or vehicles without tag or with another vehicle's tag are charged with fine as high as the eleven times of toll amount.
Vehicle owners or drivers can query information about their violation online or at a call center. Payment of the fine within 15 days following the violation notice's receipt enables 25% discount according to Turkish law.
See also
- KGS, smart card type electronic toll collecting system