How to fund transport infrastructure is a challenge faced by many governments. Recently, it was one of the global issues discussed by the International Road Federation (IRF) in Las Vegas, Nevada. At the forum, transport technology services company EROAD received international recognition for its work in delivering safer, more productive roads.
In attendance were senior transport industry and institutional specialists from over 50 countries, gathered for constructive engagement to identify common challenges, celebrate innovative solutions, learn of policy developments and the opportunities technology is enabling for more effective and efficient transport infrastructure and road funding sources.
Technology-enabled funding models were considered, with the approach implemented in New Zealand holding high interest amongst attendees due to the successful implementation, industry adoption and ease of use for both transport operators and government.
Nina Elter, SVP of Global Market Development at EROAD, was invited to present an overview of the pioneering system developed by EROAD, and the company’s unique approach that bridges both industry and government to ensure successful outcomes of fair and effective road funding that is easy to manage for all involved.
EROAD operates across Australia, North America and New Zealand, developing technology solutions (products and services) that manage vehicle fleets, support regulatory compliance, improve driver safety, and reduce the costs associated with driving.
The company introduced the world’s first nationwide electronic road user charging system more than ten years ago, through which billions of dollars has been collected for the sustainability of the New Zealand transport network.
In the USA, EROAD introduced the first electronic Weight Mile Tax service (2014) and the first independently verified Electronic Logging Device service (2017).
In recognition of EROAD’s expertise in providing solutions to global transportation problems, Ms Elter was appointed as a non-executive director on the IRF Board, and engaged as Chair of the IRF committee that will enable best practice and learnings on road user charging to be shared amongst the 118 countries belonging to the IRF.
The IRF also acknowledged that EROAD’s innovative technology is making a difference to road safety, presenting the 2019 Global Road Achievement Award for Technology, Equipment and Manufacturing to the company.
The driver-facing screen on EROAD’s in-vehicle hardware, Ehubo2, encourages continual improvement in driving standards.
Colour-coded feedback and audible alerts encourage drivers to immediately adopt safer driving behaviours. It monitors the key variables indicative of bad driving: over-speeding, harsh braking and cornering and sharp acceleration, and alerts drivers when they should take a break to prevent fatigue and enables easy communication with drivers.
This data information from the vehicle is simultaneously transmitted via a secure cellular link and appears in a cloud-based web portal (called Depot) for easy customer access.
This enables fleet managers to identify and address underlying driving behaviour issues and easily support driver training and reward programmes using services like Leaderboard, which benchmarks drivers against industry benchmarks; Over Speed Dashboard, an accurate view of drivers’ over speed activity; or Driver Insight, a summary of driver-specific feedback, highlighting key areas for improvement.
In addition, the company aides companies to meet regulatory Health and Safety obligations through services like EROAD Share, which helps operators meet duty of care obligations through visibility of vehicle and fleet information including driving behaviour of subcontractors within their supply chain; and accurate reporting for meeting any regulatory requirements like Chain of Responsibility.
In accepting the award, Ms Elter said “Our customers tell us that using our products and services, helps them significantly decrease things like overspeed events, harsh breaking, fatigue and other precursors that cause incidences on our roads” and then thanked her colleagues and EROAD customers for making the international recognition possible.
This partner content is brought to you by EROAD. For more information, visit https://www.eroad.com.au/.