MOCT Confirms New
Toll Fee Pay System

Hi-pass automatic toll collection system to be expanded nationwide

The Ministry of Construction and Transportation announced on April 27 that the Hi-pass being used in an open-type highway sections around the Seoul area will be gradually expanded to be used at all tollgates of expressways around the country.
The Hi-pass system is an automatic highway toll collection system, a high-tech system to solve traffic jams at highway tollgates and an effective maintenance of highways, which need no people to operate it.
The expansion plan was taken up at the economic policy coordination meeting presided over by Deputy Prime Minister and Finance and Economy Minister Kwon O-kyu in August last year with the MOCT and the Korea Expressway Corp. presenting the plan to secure funds and other problems faced in the work to expand the Hi-pass system nationwide at the meeting.
MOCT will start with 251 tollgates now being built by building one to three lanes for cars using the Hi-pass and the rest for cars that don't use the Hi-pass.
To cope with an increase in demand for Hi-pass with the wider use of the system coming into effect, the production of the Hi-pass terminal will be open to increase its suppliers and liberalize the market. The speed limit(30 km/hour) on Hi-pass lanes to the tollgates will be strictly observed to ensure safety of cars. Safety bars and other safety installations will be built at the same time on Hi-pass approach lanes to the tollgates.
MOCT will announce the date of the opening of Hi-pass tollgates, its effects, and the guide to use the Hi-pass, time saved, savings in toll fees by using the Hi-pass system, and other benefits from using the Hi-pass.
MOCT plans to improve various problems around the tollgates including chronically slow progress of the tollgates, and installation of mechanical operation systems not using people, no parkings and no cash use.
Following are excerpts from an interview with Yoon Wang-ro, head of Road Management Team of the Basic Installation Headquarters of the MOCT:
What is the significance for the installation of the Hi-pass and its expansion?
At present, cars pay toll fees in cash or use credit cards at the tollgates after stopping. From now, when the Hi-pass terminal is installed at the car, toll fees are paid automatically through a wireless communication system, not requiring cars to stop at tollgates. The system is being used in Japan and France and other few advanced countries or installing it. It not only provides convenient traffic services ,but also displays the superiority of our information and communication technology abroad to cite some of its advantages.
What are effects from installing the Hi-pass?
After installing the first round of the program, we found that one Hi-pass lane processed 1,800 vehicles per hour, compared to 600 cars at the old tollgates, six times more effective. Encouraged by the result, the MOCT decided in March to expand the system nationwide and from next year vehicles with the Hi-pass terminals will free pass the tollgates without stopping. The advanced toll fee payment system will boost the effective management of toll roads. The system when its use become nationwide, is likely to save some 1 trillion won various expenses in 10 years such as the cost for building tollgate lanes, saving energy, reduction of pollution, and other social benefits. nw

Tollgates with approach lanes for the Hi-pass toll collection system.