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GNSS road pricing or GNSS-based tolling is the charging of road users using Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) sensors inside vehicles. Road pricing using GNSS simplifies distance-based tolling for all types of roads in a tolled road network since it does not require the installation and operation of roadside infrastructure, such as tollbooths or microwave-based toll gantries. Instead, all vehicles required to pay the distance-based fees are equipped with an On Board Unit (OBU).
GNSS-based electronic tolling is used to charge trucks above 3.5 tons for road usage on the entire national road network in European countries such as Germany, Slovakia, Hungary, Belgium, Russia, the Czech Republic, and in Bulgaria. Like the Czech Republic, Poland plans to replace its microwave-based tolling system with a GNSS-based solution in 2021.[1] Satellite-based technology can generate greater toll revenue and eliminate the problem of congestion caused by traffic diversion when vehicles subject to tolls are no longer motivated to drive on alternative routes in order to avoid the distance-based fees, since all roads can be easily tolled without the need for installing otherwise costly roadside infrastructure.
Once installed, the GNSS-based road pricing system can also be used for other applications such as in parking and insurance. After the introduction of the first GNSS-based tolling systems in Europe, some critics argued that this approach could lead to an invasion of people’s privacy.[2] However, the European Union's General Data Protection Regulation (EU) 2016/679 (GDPR) applies since 25 May 2018.