The next generation of safety technology for vehicles is Wireless Vehicle Communications via DSRC (Dedicated Short Range Communications).  DSRC enables collisions to be avoided using direct Vehicle to Vehicle and Vehicle to Infrastructure wireless communications to warn of impending danger.

This same technology can be used for a variety of traffic payment systems.  By:

• Tolling — additional control over existing tolling systems.
• Congestion tolling — pay depending on the roads you use and the time of day.
• Hot lanes — pay more to use 'high speed' lanes on motorways.
• Road access tolling — pay according to the weight of your truck and the roads and infrastructure you use.  (This is a variation on the Intelligent Access Program.)
• Transit Lane Sharing — trucks can pay extra to share transit lanes with buses.  This will ensure more predictable and reliable deliveries with less impact from traffic conditions.  DSRC comunications will give directions and advisory speeds to trucks to ensure that buses are not impeded.
• Related issues of interest to motorway owners:
  • Traffic Congestion Measurement — DSRC enables tracking of traffic congestion.
  • Platooning — maximising the usage of each lane by using DSRC to control vehicles and organise them into dense groups.

• Provides a means to extend tolling to new applications.
• Provides a means to explore how DSRC and existing tags will share the same environment.

• DSRC wireless design and prototyping
• Tolling and payment systems.

• Government
• Motorway owners.
• Road authorities
• Transport and Logisitics industry, e.g. freight carriers.
• Bus transit authorites.

• Dejai
• Cohda Wireless
• NICTA
• RTA
• Motorway owner/operator

• Transport and Logisitics

•  18 months

• "Seed funding for Dedicated Short Range Communications Demonstrator Project" from NSW Government Dept of State & Regional Development.  This is A$100,000.  It requires matched industry funding and must be spent on a project relevant to the Transport and Logistics sector.