OREANDA-NEWS. Following their invitation to tender, the three Belgian regions of Flanders, Wallonia and Brussels have awarded the contract for a satellite-based intelligent kilometre charging system for trucks weighing more than 3.5 tonnes to Satellic NV. Satellic is 76 percent owned by T-Systems and 24 percent owned by STRABAG. The competent public agency signed the agreement with Satellic in Brussels. It has a term of 12 years and initially envisages that Satellic will establish the new intelligent kilometre charging system in the next 18 months.

Satellic's contractual partner on the Belgian side is Viapass, the public agency specially set up by the regions of Flanders, Wallonia and Brussels for the toll project.

"We look forward to working with Viapass," said Mirka Irena Dworschak, a member of Satellic's Board of Directors, at the signing of the agreement in Brussels. "With its experience with Germany's toll project, T-Systems can make a major contribution to setting up the satellite-based intelligent kilometre charging system."

Now that the agreement has been concluded, Satellic will immediately begin preparations to roll out the intelligent kilometre charging system for trucks in Belgium. The Brussels-based company will conclude cooperation deals with Belgian enterprises in the coming weeks in order to tackle implementation of the system.

Domestic and foreign trucks are to be charged a toll in Belgium in the future. The Belgian regions will define, after consultation with the transport sector, the precise tariffs at a later date. Rates are to differ according to the environmental standard of the vehicle and local and regional circumstances. The Belgian authorities see this revenue as an important contribution to maintaining the country's transport infrastructure.

Satellic will be responsible for establishing and operating the intelligent kilometre charging system. The toll is to be collected with the aid of an on-board unit (OBU) which truck drivers obtain at customer service points. This unit uses GPS signals and mobile communications to record which sections of road have been used by a truck where a kilometre charge is active.