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Faculty of Computing and Mathematical Sciences MSc Information System Management

Enhanced Solution for London Congestion Charging Zone (CCZ)

Name: Saqib Bin Asghar Student ID: 000636534-5 Project Hand In Date: 30th January 2011 Supervisor: Mr. David Mace

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Acknowledgement
I am grateful to all of the lecturers at University of Greenwich for their guidance, support and advice in order to complete this work. I would like to appreciate the feedback that I have received from Mr. David Mace and Richard Johnson at University of Greenwich. I also thank my lecturers at Birmingham International College Mr. Brian McMullan and Ajaz Ali for their help. Besides that I would like to extend my thanks to all other members of staff who assisted directly or indirectly in completion of my studies. I thank TfL officials for their valuable time and providing me relevant information about operational and technical aspects of ANPR and CCZ. Thank you all.

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Abstract
TfL is responsible for transport management in Greater London. The research seeks to evaluate the effectiveness of current TfL congestion charging system and possible enhancement and alternative solutions. This research is significant for TfL by providing an insight into the issues that current system is facing. The research will begin with the review of existing system. Although it is very difficult to obtain literature and information on this topic as there isnt much research conducted or books written, I have tried my best to collect as much information as possible on the subject area. Researchers also didnt pay much attention towards the technical aspects of Congestion Zone rather most of the research has been conducted on environmental or commercial aspects of CCZ. After discussing the current issues, I will highlight possible solutions to current problems including enhancement of the current system or replacing it with a better solution in order to enhance the efficiency of the system.

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Table of contents:

1
1.1 1.2 1.3

Introduction Statement of Research Problem Scope of Study Objectives of Study Case Study Transport for London (TfL) 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 Congestion Zone Charges How it works? Problems in Congestion Charging Zone Issues with Car Number Plates Literature Review 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 Comparison with other systems Stockholm Congestion Charging Singapore Congestion Charging Impact of Congestion Charging Research Methodology 4.1 Soft System Methodology

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Methods of Congestion / Toll Charging 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 5.5 5.6 Manual / Automated Toll Barriers Park and Ride Automatic Number Plate Recognition Dedicated Short Range Communication Global Satellite Navigation System (GNSS) RFID Basic working of Radio Frequency Identification Classification of RFID Tags Types of Memory in RFID Different Frequencies of RFID Advantages of RFID Disadvantages of RFID Security and Privacy issues in RFID

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Summary of technologies and possible solution 6.1 6.2 6.3 6.4 6.5 6.6 6.7 RFID Resource Requirements System Design and Description Installation of RFID readers Data Processing in Congestion Zone Analysis of the proposed system Cost / Benefit Analysis Conclusion

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7 8

References and Readings

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Appendices

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List of Figures
1. London congestion zone boundaries(Photo) London Congestion Zone Signs (Photo) Number plate cloning (Photo) Singapore Central Zone (Photo) Singapore Automated Charging System (Photo) Traffic Entering the congestion Zone (Graph) Changes to traffic pattern year wise (Table) CCZ Revenue and Costs (Table) Congestion is central zone (Graph 2002 to 2008) Sales Performance of Businesses (Graph) Soft System Methodology (Diagram) ANPR cameras installed on a bridge and poles on roadside (Photo) ANPR Technology How it works (Diagram and Photo) ANPR edge recognition technique and overall system (Photo) DSRC System (Diagram) GNSS (Diagram) Types of RFID tags (Diagram - Photos) Basic working of RFID Comparison of RFID reading Range (Table) Resource Requirement (Diagram) Design Diagram

1a
2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17. 18. 19. 20.

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Preface
TfL is responsible for control of traffic flow in Greater London. TfL is using a state of the art computerized system to manage its activities. This paper is written to identify the areas for enhancements in the existing system for Congestion Zone Charging. Each section of this paper is written very carefully to keep smooth flow of information. It will be a helpful guide for all stakeholders as it covers specific technical aspects of CCZ alongside some generic issues being faced by TfL. The last chapter of this work reflects upon possible enhancements using latest technology. The discussed technologies in this paper exist for quite some time but innovative uses of these technologies have recently emerged from supply chain management to vehicle identification and tracking systems. The research identifies the benefits and possible problems with the suggested solution without comprising on privacy of users. Cloning of car number plates is a matter of great concern for TfL, DVLA, Police, Insurance companies and other authorities. The suggested solution not only will help TfL in charging effectively and efficiently for users of congestion zone but also would help these departments in overcoming the problems they face due to Car Number Plate Cloning.

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Chapter 1 Introduction
Significant rise in population of London led to increase in traffic on roads over last two decades. Traffic does not mean problem in its own, it rather reflects economic and social activity taking place in an environment. Traffic is a solution to our problem of commuting from one place to the other to perform a particular task. Kids have to go to schools every day, doctors and nurses and other professionals need to go to work on time in order maintain the economic, social and business activities. It is not possible to alter the basic requirements of communication at all but on the other hand when everyone intends to use the road for the above mentioned reasons, this creates congestion problems for motorists and residents of the city. Parking problems and traffic blocks cause time delays. One of the adverts by Tom Tom navigation system has an excellent phrase You are not stuck in traffic, you are traffic!. According to former mayor of London Ken Livingstone The single biggest problem for London and Londoners is the gridlock of our transport system. At the start of the 21st century, traffic is crawling around central London at an average speed of less than 10 miles an hour. Congestion damages the environment, business competitiveness and everyones quality of life. (Gosling, 2003) Different solutions were implemented in order to overcome traffic congestion problems. London congestion charging zone was introduced on 17th February 2003 to reduce the traffic in central London and to have a constant flow of traffic in this region (TfL,2003). Transport for London (TfL) is playing pivotal role in implementation of Mayors transport strategy in London. TfLs major responsibilities include the management of transport across the capital. One of its core responsibilities is the administration of congestion zone charging. This paper will highlight the problems faced by all stakeholders after implementation of congestion charging. The paper will also cover technical problems faced by TfL in
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operation of congestion zone control system. Analyses will be performed on the gathered problems. In the light of these analyses enhanced technical solutions will be proposed. Main aim of this project is to find solutions using advanced technologies/ techniques in Information System. These solutions will facilitate the motorists, commuters, Londoners, businessmen and most importantly TfL. According to TfL (2010) approximately 250,000 vehicles enter daily in congestion zone. As mentioned in a report published by the TfL (2003) number of vehicles was reduced by 60,000 after introduction of congestion zone as compared to previous year. 60% of people transferred to public transport, 20% avoid the zone while travelling and 20% used car sharing. The congestion charging somehow solves the problem of traffic but introduced new problems for businesses and motorists. On the other hand after almost a decade, the traffic has significantly increased and despite declaring it a congestion zone area and continuously increase in the toll charges, the traffic is still not controlled effectively. The rise in population and need for more people to travel has lead to new problems for environment in London. Every system has its own hidden advantages, disadvantages and weaknesses which cant be fully understood until the system is operational and implemented in real life scenario. Hence each system has some potential for improvement due to these unknown issues. The system of TfL also faces some challenges which need immediate attention. These challenges are discussed in the following pages. Numerous problems were identified after implementation of congestion charging. Number plate cloning is one of the biggest problems faced by the authorities. According to TfL (2010), currently implemented Automated Number Plate Recognition System (ANPRS) is not efficient enough to register all cars entering the congestion zone. Congestion zone charging system where drivers of vehicles go to a TfL approved point to make the payment also face issues when a number plate is not recognized properly. The driver may have to pay the penalty charge if the system is unable to recognize the vehicle license plate (number plate).

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Each vehicles 5 images are taken when it passes through the CCZ cameras. TfL is facing the problem of managing huge data of images taken by these cameras. TfL communicates with Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) database for unprocessed and suspected images through automated system in order to find vehicles details which require ample time and resources. Involvement of human interaction also causes delays and problems for TfL and motorists as well. At times the drivers are unable to remember the license plate correctly or due to the different accent of staff and drivers the payment is charged to the wrong driver. (TfL, 2010) TfL has adopted various strategies in the past to overcome these issues but still not to the extent where the results could be brought into acceptable limits.

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Statement of Research Problem As mentioned in the introduction TfL faces problems in recognizing all vehicles entering the congestions zone. Car number plate cloning adds to the problem by sending penalty notices to drivers who have never been to London in their lifetime. Current Automatic Number Plate Recognition System is an excellent state of the art technology which is being used by TfL, but due to its limitations in varying environment, TfL is always looking forward for enhancement of current system with the help of additional technology or replacement if needed with a comparatively more efficient system. Scope of Study Although the vast subject of Congestion Zone Charging has multiple dimensions which include Environmental, Economic, Social and Commercial aspects, but they are out of scope of this study as this work is based on technological solution rather than appraising the system for above mentioned aspects. I am trying to focus on the technical implementation of the current system and any issues faced by TfL. I will also try to find possible solutions to these technical problems which may in return benefit all the above mentioned aspects indirectly but enhance the efficiency of the current system directly. I will not focus on hardware and software faults in the system as it may fall in electronics, networking or system development category. I will focus on the resulting problems of number plate recognition system using cameras and back end problems which are faced by TfL in information management of CCZ. The suggestions will be comprised of a solution which will possibly overcome the current problems and will be beneficial for all stakeholders. Recognition of Number Plates is an excellent technology which is being used by TfL and also Police in the UK. Due to number plate cloning even police is unable to capture the culprits effectively. The replacement of ANPR or additional technology will particularly be helpful for TfL but may also be used by Police and other authorities. Helping police in identifying the criminals is out of scope of this study as it will lead to a further wider research which is beyond the scope of this study. Although it is debateable if purpose of congestion charging is for the sake of reducing traffic or generating revenue, this discussion is beyond the scope of this study as well.
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Objectives of the Study

This study will primarily focus on highlighting the problems faced by TfL for management of Congestion Zone and Automatic Number Plate Recognition. Understanding will be developed for techniques used in number plate recognition of vehicles. Problems related to these techniques will also be highlighted. Enhanced solution will be proposed using modern Information System Management techniques and Information Technology. Research will also focus on providing grounds for implementation of proposed solutions. Possible impact of proposed solutions on stakeholders will be discussed.

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Chapter 2 Case Study: Transport for London (TfL)

Transport for London (TfL) is the organisation run by the Mayor of London. The organization is responsible to implement Mayors Transport Strategy for London and management of transport services across the Capital. These services include busses, underground, Dockland Light Railway, London overground, Tramlink, London river Services and Victoria Coach Station. TfL is also responsible for Management of London Congestion Zone, maintenance of 580 km of main roads and traffic lights in London, regulating the taxis and private hire trade, making Londons transport more accessible and promoting healthy initiatives such as walking and cycling. (tfl.gov.uk, 2010) London is known as one of the busiest places in the world. As the business capital of United Kingdom it has always been surrounded with traffic problems. TfL was assigned the task by the Mayor of London to reduce the traffic in London in order to move it more smoothly, reduce congestion and help the environment. Charging each vehicle using London Central Zone could have been much easier if a manual toll system was feasible. Since 250,000 vehicles use the road network of this area, practically it wouldnt have been possible to build a physical barrier to stop the whole traffic to collect the Congestion Zone Charges. Introduction of an electronic system was inevitable. TfL introduced a computerized toll system on 17th February 2003. TfL decided to use roadside cameras and a computerized system at the back end by which each passing vehicles number plate was recorded and the system could generate an entry in the database. The vehicle driver has to pay the congestion charges by going to an authorized payment point. The charging machine is connected to the central database from where it obtains the vehicle details and updates the records once the payment has been made. Previously this system was based on analogue cameras and each roadside camera was connected to a dedicated computer receiving images from

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the camera and passing it on to database after processing the images and converting them in to readable format. Congestion Zone Charges The main purpose of CCZ is to cut down the number of cars entering into this zone. It started by charging 5 to each motorist which is being increased to 10. According to TfL Annual Report (2003) the traffic within the CCZ has decreased after the introduction of CCZ. From environmental point of view, congestion charging has played positive role in reducing pollution in that area. However some other issues have arisen due to the implementation of CCZ. Such as businesses claim to have seen a decline in that area. Whole effect was implied on London economy. People living in that area faced high fares and increased rate of property. Hence this left a negative impact on investors minds who wanted to start new business in this area. How it works? While entering into the Congestion zone, motorist can easily see the display boards to become aware of start of the congestion zone. To keep traffic in flow, TfL used cameras along the road instead of using toll entry barriers. According to TfL official (2010), in congestion charging zone they have network cameras which cover all entry and exit points. TfL has installed cameras which are placed in strategic locations within the zone and capture inter-zone movements. These cameras communicate with the central system using IP network technology instead of using conventional analogue system. These cameras dont communicate with each other but transmit information to the end station. The end station manages these cameras and instructs them when to switch on and off. End station also receives the data nearly in real time as images of the passing vehicles are captured. It manages the data at the end station before sending it to the business centre. All the cameras can recognize number plates through the field of view. In London approximately 1332 cameras are installed covering approx 280 locations. Each site has up to 10 cameras installed depending on the load of traffic, width of the road and requirements of the site. These cameras take 5 images of each vehicle. There are usually 2 to 7 cameras
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which are placed on curb side to cover all the rows. Cameras take images and transmit them to the database of TfL. They also record date, time and location of the vehicle, 3 of the images are colour and 2 are black and white. Camera takes images at different intervals to notice movement of the vehicle. (TfL, 2010) According to TfL official (2010), they were using analogue cameras infrastructure in congestion charging zone in 2003. Those cameras send a Closed-Circuit Television (CCTV) feed to a central location and they had a bank of computers at central location. Each camera had a dedicated computer connected to receive the images. In 2007 TfL reached the planned expansion of the congestion zone. TfL extended the western part of the congestion zone which was implemented on 19 February 2007. However TfL has decided to remove extension with effect from 4th Jan 2011. TfL has signed a new contract with Siemens. Digital cameras were integrated on the streets which send packets of data over IP. (TfL, 2010) The new technology gave TfL operational savings, future flexibility and more system enrich features. There were some elements which they may use in future for example push and pull technology, so at the moment camera infrastructure is pushing everything towards end station that means the cameras are pushing meta data, day time location and number plate images which is 2 Kbyte data and 5 images of each Number Plate which are 100kbytes. (TfL, 2010) Currently each camera costs up to 20,000 including installation and cabling. Any additional camera on a site costs additional 6,000. Most of the system is automated but at times it requires manual intervention as well. As scheme charging hours are 7am to 6pm on Monday to Friday, system is programmed to start and shutdown cameras on time. (TfL, 2010)

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Motorists pay the applied congestion charge through following means: 1- Congestion charging Auto Pay (CC Auto Pay) TfL encourages motorists to pay through CC Auto Pay System because it benefits motorists as well as TfL. Motorists need to register with TfL by providing information of their vehicle registration number and debit/credit card details to be charged automatically. Once the user enters the area, the ANPR system checks from the registered users database and automatically deducts the required charges from users bank account. This system is efficient and user friendly. People who have to travel to this area regularly and pay by automated system also benefit from discount offered by TfL. Due to automated deduction system, users will not be sent penalty charge notices (PCNs). This system still may send the penalty charges if a user does not have enough funds in the bank account. 2. Pay online This is another convenient way to make the payment. Motorists can pay online at cclondon.com but some users are reluctant in using online banking services and may prefer to pay through other means. In this case users need secure access to internet which may not be available for all the users at all times. Users still need to carry a debit or credit card in order to make the payment. 3. Pay through mobile phone text message Motorists can pay through mobile text service after registering with TFL. The amount will be charged to users mobile phone and will appear in the monthly bill or maybe deducted immediately if a user has pay as you go mobile. This method is comparatively secure if a user has enough funds in mobile phone account. 4. Pay at selected shops and petrol stations Motorists can pay in cash or by card at petrol stations and to the selected shops where the signs are displayed. In this case motorists have to find appropriate parking space and a
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convenient place to pay. Some motorist maybe going to a meeting in a hurry and might not find a shop around that area to make the payment. In this case they may adopt other methods of payment. 5. Pay through phone A user can pay through a debit or credit card by calling TfL on specified numbers. 6. Pay by post For this method, motorists need a form called paying the congestion charge to fill in and send it to TfL by post. This form is to be used for advance payments which must be sent to TfL 10 days prior to going to this area. As soon as a user passes by a camera, the ANPR system transmits the registration details to the database where the payment status is automatically checked. If a payment is already made then the system marks the car registration number as safe otherwise the details remain live on the system until the payment is made or the car leaves the congestion zone. If a car leaves the congestion zone without making the required payment then an automatic penalty notice is prepared and sent by the system to the registered owner of the vehicle. (tfl.gov.uk, 2010)

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Figure 1: London congestion zone boundaries : Source: TfL (2011)

Figure 1 (a): London congestion zone signs: Source: photographersdirect.com

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Problems in Congestion Charging Zone (CCZ)

According to TfL official (2010), Everyday TfL receives 8000 entries that are not automatically processed by the computer. Manual process of checking these entries with car number plates is slow and cumbersome. Another major problem is the mechanism of obtaining information from DVLA which is restricted to maximum 10k inquiries a day. The whole information is processed overnight. TfL receives up to 60k interactions from customers every day through web and call centres. TfL official (2010) reported another issue which is not complicated but still creates a lot of problems. TfL identified that vehicle owners dont know their registration number plates. They ring TfL to make the payment and provide wrong car registration details. Data entry mistakes make the problem even worst due to distortion in phone lines, accent or speed of speech of the caller. Even in manual interaction there are lots of problems. Same is the case on internet where people type the incorrect number plate of their vehicle. Ultimately people think they have paid but actually they have paid for wrong vehicle and they keep receiving penalty charge notices. TfL tried to restrict this problem by forcing people to visit the website cclondon.com and encourage them to pay online by typing their vehicle registration number. TfL then reconfirms by asking the vehicle owners about their car make, model and colour. If they find it correct they will then confirm the charge. But this is still not a solution because it is just solving their 50% problem. This adds up to the overheads and costs of operating a big system. According to TfL official (2010), another problem is tailgating. If a vehicle is travelling too close to the vehicle in front then it will not trigger a capture because the camera may consider it as one vehicle instead of two. Some cameras are rear facing and some of them are front facing but it does not overcome tailgating problem. The cameras do not produce 100% accurate results.

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According to TfL official (2010), sometimes cameras face problems e.g. road works may have effect on operation of a camera. Camera would not be able to capture anything due to hurdles in their field of view (dust, smoke, fog etc). Camera still captures the image but is unable to make any sense from them. This kind of images are passed on to TFL to treat them differently because they are getting information on wrong evidence or images. Sometimes they need to divert traffic due to any uncertainties so TfL cant relocate their cameras for instant changes. Issues with Car Number Plates According to TfL official (2010), TfL is facing following three issues regarding car number plates: 1. Ring vehicle / Ringer Vehicle

Some criminals steal number plates of parked cars or obtain them from scrap yards. The stolen number plates are used on different cars for criminal activities and to avoid paying the Congestion Charges. These plates could be placed on any vehicle with a different make, model and colour. It could be scrapped cars license plate which does not exist anymore. Some numbers may not even exist and this kind of vehicle is called a ringer vehicle. 2. Cloned vehicles Criminals copying number plate of a vehicle with similar specifications. Same number plate on same type of vehicles in terms of make, model and colour is called a cloned vehicle. These vehicles are very hard to spot unless it is specifically known that which one is a true vehicle. TfL sends penalty to innocent vehicle owners and they normally have to prove that it wasnt them driving in the congestion zone. This could be done by showing markings on their cars or proving that they were somewhere else with the original vehicle at that time.

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Before issuing the penalty notice, TfL manually checks the images and obtains all details from DVLA to make sure they are charging the right vehicle. Cloned vehicles are very hard to judge and mostly penalty notice is sent to the innocent vehicle owner and when they get back to TfL, TfL puts them on a special list where TfL treats them more carefully and builds an information database about the real vehicles. Since TfL has very limited authority, they cant capture these criminals themselves. By the time the data is processed and the car owner has proven that his vehicle is cloned, the criminals might already have changed the number plate with a new one. Twelve TfL officials check approximately 8000 unprocessed images of vehicles every day to overcome this kind of problems. This is not only time consuming but also at times ends up without any useful results. (TfL, 2010) 3. Tempered Tempered number plates are those number plates on which original letters are replaced with any other letters using different means e.g. it is easy to change F into E by putting black sticky tape on it. Camera will take it as an E but in fact it would be the letter F. Numbers can be made bold or thin to mislead the cameras. When TfL checks them manually again it is time consuming process which sometimes ends up without results.

Figure 2: Number plate cloning (Source: blog.niot.net)

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Chapter 3 Literature Review

Since the implementation of congestion charging system, a very few researches have been conducted to identify the technical aspects of the system. I did not come across any study which focuses on enhancement of the current ANPR system. There are no studies available which relate to technical aspects and issues of congestion management system. I could find some studies which relate to environmental or commercial aspects of the congestion zone. Most of the information available on this topic is from the TfL website and information from other cities in the world where a similar system is implemented. I conducted interviews with the TfL officials in order to identify the weaknesses of the current system and possible solutions that TfL has considered in the past. I also observed issues faced by motorists on the streets of London and at the pay points where motorists go to make payment for the toll charge. There are various technologies available for detection of license plates. Luo Qi (2008) in his article discussed the different methods for Intelligent Transport System Technologies and its applications in the world. He discussed different wireless, computational and sensing technologies. Originally Electronic Toll Collection (ETC) systems were used to automate toll collection, but more recent innovations have used ETC to enforce congestion pricing through cordon zones in city centres and ETC lanes. A traffic enforcement camera system, consisting of a camera and a vehiclemonitoring device, is used to detect and identify vehicles disobeying a speed limit or some other road legal requirement and automatically ticket offenders based on the license plate number. (Qi, 2008) Blythe (2005) discussed another technology which works on the principal of two way communication. Dedicated short-rang communications (DSRC) which works on the principal communication between transponder fitted in vehicle and a sophisticated system of transport management. He highlighted the value of using transponders in
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vehicles. He explained that these transponders are consisting of smart tags. The smart cards are intelligent enough to deal with different kinds of data and processes. These cards are usually programmed for management of different applications. While discussing the implementation of congestion charging in Manchester, Dr. Jerram (2010) of University of Manchester in his article highlighted some moral issues related to congestion charging. He is of the view that it will increase poverty and poor people will find illegal ways of entering congestion zone. As mentioned by Charles Arthur (2003), Technology Editor at Guardian, that some criminals are cloning the number plates of other cars to avoid the congestion charging. He mentioned that Dozens of people who have never driven in London are understood to have received fines of up to 80 from Transport for London (TfL). Nirej Sheth (2007), in Wall street journal article, mentioned that dozens of people make fool of city government by pinching number plates of other cars. He mentioned that the number of cloned numbers plates caught in 2004 was 6,000 and it increased to 9,777 in early 2006. He clarifies that up to 300 cloned number plates vehicles enter in congestion zone daily. (According to one BBC report the actual number of cloned and tempered vehicle is much higher. BBC claims 1 in 250 vehicles entering congestion zone is cloned) It highlights the severity of cloning of number plate problem. Another aspect of cloning is vehicle cloning, which means the copying of a number plate of similar colour, brand and model of a car. According to BBC report, across the nation, number of cloned cars has crossed the boundary of 10,000. According to the report Car cloners or "ringers", as they are known, are motoring bandits. They spot a hapless motorist, note the number-plate of the car and get duplicate plates made through illegal means. Meanwhile, the unwitting motorist is watching fines and charges hit the "wipe your feet" mat at home. Head of Roads and Transport for the Trust, Paul Watters, revealed to BBC You may never know that your car has been cloned until speeding, parking and congestion penalty charge tickets arrive on the doormat. You will have great difficulty convincing the authorities it was not your car they will demand that you prove your innocence. (BBC, 2005)

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Jones (1998) highlighted the controversial issues related to congestion charging. He elaborates that an average driver thinks congestion is not his fault for which he should pay a price. He also emphasized that congestion pricing will not get out the motorist out of the car. One more thing he discussed in his research focused that technology will not work for betterment. It seems quite true because TfL is facing technical problems for managing system and on the other side people also suffer. These problems are discussed in later part of literature review. The volume of traffic is still the same and rather is on rise now. At very beginning of imposing congestion charging post offices raised the bill for collecting congestion charge from commuters. As mentioned by BBC (2003) in an article Post Office raised bill from 250K to 1 Million without any justification. Association of British Drivers (ABD) mentioned on their website (2003) that The Congestion Charge is not about reducing congestion. If they genuinely wanted to do that, they wouldn't have been deliberately creating it for the last year or so. This is yet another stealth tax, but not a fair tax where everyone pays their share to improve transport, this is a tax on drivers only. It is discriminatory against all drivers, more so against the lower paid. No dispensations have been given to essential jobs like teachers and nurses, nor to voluntary workers like the Samaritans, will even unmarked police cars have to pay! Jones (1998) also discussed that it hits the privacy of motorists while they are travelling to and from congestion zone.

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Comparison with Other Implemented Systems

Congestion charging system has been implemented in many other parts of the world. First ever charging was imposed by Singapore Government in 1975. Similar system was implemented in Sweden Capital city Stockholm in 2007. Lot of research work has been done on these two congestion chagrining systems. Following is the brief overview of related researches. Stockholm Congestion Charging

Stockholm Congestion management system is known as one of the most sophisticated traffic systems in the world. As reported by Kiesling (2006) in his article, Stockholm tested one of the worlds most sophisticated traffic-management systems as part of a plan to reduce gridlock, lower smog levels and improve quality of life in the city. Unlike most other traffic-control plans in place in cities such as London and Rome, Stockholm used a dynamic-pricing system in which drivers were charged different amounts depending on the time of day. People will be more willing to accept this system because charging is minimal during off peak times whereas in London there is a fix charge rate irrespective of timing whether it is peak time or off peak. Some researchers argue that this system affects only the poor who would want to save a buck by not travelling during the peak hours but may lose a lot more due to missing an important job, but on the other hand this doesnt affect the rich who still will be able to travel at any time. This sounds quite discriminatory and favours the rich only. IBM developed the wireless system using Radio Frequency Identification technology supplied by Q-free- a leading Norwegian road equipment suppliers. The system works by using a Q-Free on-board unit and road side technology in combination with an operational system provided and run by IBM. (roadtraffic-technology.com, 2010). This technology also facilitates the commuters to make payment by using direct debit facility. System of ANPR is also working along with RFID. Q-Free cameras can also detect and record car number plate images using Automated Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) software to identify those vehicles without tags, and are also
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used to verify tag readings and provide evidence to support the enforcement of nonpayers. The use of the transponders fitted in vehicles means the system has a more reliable capture rate and a more cost-effective back-room operation than congestion charging systems that do not use such devices. It also makes it far easier to operate variable charging with automated direct debit after the passage.(roadtraffictechnology.com, 2010). Singapore Congestion Charging

One of the classic examples in implementation of road pricing is Singapore. The first ever road pricing which was implemented in the world is Singapore Area Licensing Scheme which was implemented in June 1975. I will examine the case in two parts; before 1998 when system was manual and after 1998 when the system changed to electronic pricing. (Santos and Fraser, 2006) Vehicles were charged on entry into the restricted zone (RZ). Vehicles entering the 7 km2 RZ, which included the central business district, were required to purchase a paper area licence in advance and display it on their windscreen. This was then valid for entry an unlimited number of times while valid. (Santos and Fraser, 2006) This system worked manually and operated by the officer standing on side of the roads. The non-payers and violators were charged with fines. No one was exempt from the charge even the residents of the area. However they could travel in the area free of charge without crossing the boundaries of RZ. Traffic volumes during the morning peak hours fell by 45%, and car entries decreased by 70% (Willoughby, 2000). In September 1998 Singapore implemented the first electronic road pricing (ERP) scheme to replace the old manual ALS. By now in 2010, this scheme is one of its kinds. There is not a specific area or defined boundaries for which charge is applicable. However, there are links, which are charged. (Santos and Fraser, 2006). Charging times are varied for different areas.

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For implementation of this scheme, the cars were equipped with In-Vehicle Units (IUs). These units contain smart cards which contain all information of vehicle. Road price is automatically charged when the vehicle passed under the gantry. This system is sophisticated enough that if a car passes under the gantry which does not have proper smart card inserted or do not have sufficient balance the valid transaction does not take place. The system than operate the cameras to capture the image of license plate and owner is than fined. (Santos and Fraser, 2006) This scheme did not increase the average speed or reduce the further congestion as compare to ALS (Santos and Fraser, 2006). However, it provides a sophisticated system with very little human involvement. It reduced the ongoing cost of project and provides a solid structure which charged commuters accurately on actual usage.

Figure 3: Singapore Central Zone (source sustainablecities.dk)

Figure 4 :Singapore Automated Congestion Charging System (source sustainablecities.dk)

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Impact of Congestion Charging

Following graph and table represent the effect of implementation of congestion charging for the period 2002 - 2007. It is evident that the congestion of car traffic has reduced up to 16% between years 2002 - 2007. There is an increase in public transport of 31% but the same effect is visible in decrease of cars and minicabs. It revealed that the people shifted from cars to public transport. Overall chargeable vehicles reduced by 29% and there is steep increase in non chargeable vehicles by 15%. Due to increase in number of vehicles, increase in population, the percentage wise drop may sound as if the system is really effective but in terms of actual number of cars entering the zone may have increased due to the above mentioned reasons. Considering only 15% net impact on the traffic volume, the quality of life of poor people has deteriorated as well. TfL is considering to increase the congestion charge to 10 per day which will not affect the rich but cost more to the poor. On the other hand TfL is still making profits in hundreds and millions of pounds and increasing the toll to 10 will further add up to these profits. Due to these reasons many researchers question if actually environment is the reason to implement the toll system or is it another revenue generating tax imposed on general public who have to use transport as a necessity in a big city like London.

Figure 5: Source: TfL, 2008

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Figure 6: Change to traffic pattern

Figure 7: Scheme Revenue and Costs

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Figure 8: Source: TfL, 2008

TfL has obtained the expected results in 2003, 2004, and 2005 but during year 2006 and 2007 as depicted in the above graphs the average time for per kilometre travel increased and congestion hits again. In early year TfL succeeded to reduce the congestion from 20% to 30% but in 2006 the average congestion was only 8% less than the values prevailed before the implementation of congestion charging.

Figure 9: Source TfL

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Chapter 4

Research Methodology
I will use SSM (Soft System Methodology) in my research and try to obtain various point of views on the existing or proposed system. SSM assumes that each individual sees the world differently and with a varying understanding and evaluation of a situation. This leads to identifying different ideas but towards a positive action. The ideas may not oppose each other but may differ in principle and make the difference significant when it comes to implementation of a project. (orsoc.org.uk, 2010) I am conducting research on investigating the enhanced solutions to problems encountered by TfL. These problems are faced at both ends; commuters and TfL as well. For investigating the external problems or problems faced by commuters I will use the personal observations and experiences. For identification of internal problems or problems faced by the TfL I will conduct a structured interview with operations manager in person and other TfL employees using telephone or internet. A very limited amount of research has been carried out on technical aspects of London Congestion Zone. The past researches conducted on congestion zone were mainly focused on Environmental, Social and Commercial impacts of congestion charging. I will use the resources available on internet, University Library, Journals and articles published in newspapers to develop my study. After highlighting the problems, the main focus of study will be the identification of current available solutions in market. I will use desktop research to find out the available technologies. Related technologies will be selected and analyzed in particular reference to London Congestion Zone. Final solution will be selected on merits and applicability to congestion zone.

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Soft System Methodology

Figure 10: Soft System Methodology (orsoc.org.uk)

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Chapter 5

Methods of Congestion / Toll Charging

There are various possible methods of charging the toll tax. Diverse technologies can be used which may be feasible to the nature of charge, volume of traffic and budget of the organization. In the first part I will discuss the methods used in various cities around the world. After that a suitable technology will be considered to overcome the issues of London congestion charging zone. Following are the possible methods of charging toll to road users or go green and reduce congestion in the city areas: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Manual Collection using Toll Barriers Park and Ride Automatic Number plate Recognition System (ANPR) Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) Dedicated Short Range Communication (DSRC)

1. Manual /Automated Toll Charge Barriers Manual collection involves human interaction to charge the drivers who intend to visit the CCZ area or computerized barriers which may lift automatically once the required payment is made using cash or cards. Manual collection is still practiced in some countries however it is considered as unsuitable in areas with heavy traffic. This kind of barriers may include human operators, who sit in their cabins in each lane of the road, when vehicle passes through the toll barriers, they pay fixed amount of charge by hand and the operator opens the barrier for the vehicle. Before the electronic technologies of levying came into existence, motorists were charged through manual collection. There were lots of disadvantages of manual charging as it involves more human operation and interaction hence led to need of a robust and sophisticated automated solution. Along time, traffic on the road has rapidly increased which causes congestion on the road hence this led severe delays, much fuel utilization and bad impact on environment through vehicle secretion. (Crabtree, 2008)
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An uninterrupted and continuous traffic flow could not be followed through manual charging system. Although it could be used as a very good deterrent to keep the heavy traffic from entering the congestion zone and will practically help the environment by slowing down the traffic, causing delays on the toll system and the end result would be reduction in traffic due to long ques. This solution could be used if TfL actually intends to reduce the car traffic not only for profit purposes but to help the environment as well. A fraction of money can be used on people and computers at toll system which is currently utilized on expensive ANPR system and computer based database and penalty charges. The toll system will not only provide 100% charging but also would overcome the problem of car number plate cloning and will deter the criminals from stealing others number plates. Automated Coin Machines have made a different impact as compared to the manual collection system. This system consists of a simple machine placed on the drivers side of the road and the automatic operating barrier. There will be a fixed amount of charge to pay by the drivers by inserting exact amount into the machine and in result machine opens a barrier for vehicle. This is similar to the above mentioned solution. Usability and Functioning is quite simple. It seems like the manual collection system has become automatic. It results less delays compared to human based toll charging on road and better traffic flow has been seen. (Crabtree, 2008)

M6 Toll Motorway

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Park and Ride Part of the solution could be development of park and ride parking lots outside the city areas and green electronic transport should be provided to commuters at low cost to travel within the city. Heavy toll should be charged on private vehicles who intend to travel in to the city areas. The amount of money collected for the parking space may be comparable to current toll charge which could be utilized in providing free transport to drivers who use park and Ride facility. Other commuters may be charged a reasonable fare to use this kind of transport. Some of the benefits of Park and Ride are as follows: It is normally difficult to find parking spaces in busy city centres Going to city centre using own vehicle may be more costly due to hike in fuel prices Bus and Train tickets may be cheaper than the fuel cost and parking charges in the congested areas of city. Park and Ride will practically reduce pollution in the area The drivers of vehicles will get less exerted due to not driving on busy roads City centres have priority lanes for busses making them move faster than other vehicles on the road Reducing traffic means more safety on the roads and less accidents. People may have to walk a little bit to get to the desired destination which is healthier as compared to driving right in front of the destination.

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Automatic Number Plate Recognition System (ANPR) ANPR system is based on the idea of recognizing the vehicle number plate using cameras and computer based technology. This technology serves the purpose of recognizing and enforcing vehicles for the payment of congestion fee. In this technology cameras are installed on entry routes and monitor vehicles entering in to the congestion zone. These cameras are usually installed on a large poll on both sides of the road and sometimes according to suitability they may be installed on gantries. Video technology is used to observe the vehicles. Optical Character Recognition (OCR) technology is used at the back end to identify the license number of vehicles without the use of human intervention. (Hofman, 2008)

(Figure 11: ANPR cameras installed on a bridge and poles (pips)

(Figure 12: ANPR technologies : PlatePro)

The ANPR system is based on intelligent cameras which are installed on ALL entry and exit routes. These are high quality PIPS Technology Spike+ cameras which can take several high resolution images of moving vehicles. These cameras translate the image into binary data and recognize the number plate at the spot. This technology is sophisticated enough that it can take several photos even if the vehicle is travelling at speed of 155 Mph. According to the requirements, five different types of software can be
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installed which can automatically identify vehicles by reading their license plate. The most accurate system for congestion charging is PAGIS also developed by PIPS Technology Ltd. The high resolution images taken by cameras are processed by this system. The system then checks the license number of vehicle against the TfL database to verify payment status of each vehicle. System is sophisticated enough that it can bring the result in fraction of seconds even if the database contains million of records. Unprocessed entries are separated by the system for further processing. (pipstechnology.co.uk, 2010).

(Figure 13: Image source anpr-international.com)

ANPR also provides realistic means of logging all the vehicles accessing certain parts of the city. Although it may not be used for this purpose at the moment due to privacy concerns of general public, but it has a potential to be used for security and surveillance purposes. ANPR can also provide support to police to identify and track criminals. Currently this technology is used to identify cars which are used by criminals without road tax or insurance. The ANPR system can be connected to any of the available databases such as Insurance, DVLA, Road Tax and security agencies to help them identify the criminals and catch them without human intervention. Limitations of this system may include inability to identify a duplicate or copied number plate as the car registration palates do not carry any security features.

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ANPR is an established technology and is used by many developed countries. Basic working of this technology includes the image capturing of vehicles. Computer based system writes off payments and removes the pictures of paid vehicles by checking the received data with database of registered users. Enforcement actions are initiated by the system for non-payers of congestion fee. Hundreds of cameras are used in operation of monitoring the vehicles. It utilizes Optical Character Recognition technology (OCR) to recognize the license plates of vehicles. OCR software enables the system to read the license number of vehicle and convert it into digital image format. Transformation of pixels of digital image into ASCII code is performed. This is common technology and most users take benefit of it by scanning the document in editable text format. The new cameras have built in OCR technology and do not need to send the image to the computer for recognition (Hofman, 2008)

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Dedicated Short Range Communication (DSRC) This technology consists of transponders and readers. Transponders are installed to receive and transmit radio frequency to the correspondent readers which are designed for this purpose. Mostly airlines and aircraft industry uses transponders to identify the aircraft in flight. DSRC is a smaller version of same technology with a short range. Tags used to receive or transmit the signals are called passive tags. Passive tags have the ability to respond when the transmitter equipment sends them a signal. (Crabtree, 2008)

Figure 14: DSRC

Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) United States and Soviet Union developed GNSS technology to fulfil their military needs, but it is now being used for diverse non military purposes. United States developed the civil uses of US Global Positioning System (GPS). GPS is used to serve diverse purposes in different countries. For instance, it is used by truck operators for tracking of the vehicle location. Distance based charging of Heavy Goods Vehicles in Germany and Switzerland is done by using the same system. Many companies and vehicle owners install commercial GPS solution for vehicle tracking should it be stolen and taken by joy riders. (Crabtree, 2008)

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User can track the vehicle on a digital map as vehicle is installed with a chip which connects it with a GNSS. Vehicle can be tracked either on a built-in screen in vehicle or in back office. For assessing the charge, road segments can be identified by the authorities. In this technology there is no need of developing structure alongside roads or highways. Due to poor reception of GPS signals in dense urban areas sometimes it is difficult to track vehicles accurately. This technology is relatively expensive than other available technologies because it requires high tech equipment for tracking of vehicle. The on-board unit is also expensive. Galileo Navigation Project (GNP) of Europe will solve the problems encountered by GPS in dense urban areas. It will enable the authorities to charge road pricing on entire road network. (BBC, 2006)

Figure 15 : GNSS in operation

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Radio Frequency Identification (RFID)

RFID is a general name for technologies that work on radio waves. This technology was initially known as Identify Friend or Foe (IFF) because it has been used to follow the air force airplanes. Small size tags are embedded in vehicle which comprises of microchip (chip) with transmitter/aerial and memory. To read tags, there is a reader which transmits electromagnetic waves. Aerial in the tag catches radio signals. Tags used in RFID technology are passive tags which dont need external power to work, rather they use power from field created by reader due to electromagnetic waves to activate chip circuit. After receiving signals, chip starts to modulate the signals so that tag acknowledges them back to reader. Signals are converted into digital form by reader. This digital data contains the information of vehicle which was stored in tag memory. Then the process of demodulation is occurred to get digital information from signal. (Glidden, 2005)

Figure 16: Various types of RFID tags (source: scienceprog.com)

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Basic working of Radio frequency identification (RFID) (Figure 17)

RFID DATA FLOW MODEL

Source data (in binary form)

RFID DATA FLOW MODEL

Source Encoding (Data + data structure format, Data Identifier, Commands and Error control) Channel Encoding (Bit encoding scheme, e.g. non return to zero, Manchester, Miller )

Modulation (Amplitude, Frequency & Phase Shift Keying)

Transmit Communication (Air interface frequency and power considerations issues Demodulation (Reader/Interrogator)

Read/ Interrogate

Store to Transponder

Anti Contention Management Channel Decoding

Source Decoding

Recovered Source Data Key Programming Interrogation

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Classification of RFID Tags There are various types of RFID tags available in the market. These tags vary in terms of specification, range, size and usability. Basically RFID products fall into two categories, active and passive. Active tags run on batteries and may use external power source. These tags can operate from very long range and may be used with metal and liquids as well. Passive tags do not carry their own power source and derive the energy from the signal transmitted by the RFID reader. These tags are very small in size and maybe used in paper type stickers.

RFID Tags

Active

Passive

Semi-Passive

Active Tags Basic difference in this type of tags is the source of power. These tags have built-in source of power which provides electricity to its circuit and antenna. The source of power usually consists of replaceable electric lithium battery. Battery can support the tags for years of use (5 years is a common battery life for active RFID tags). These tags have ability of connecting to external source of power. These tags have capability of communicating with receiver from a long distance. In fact these are longest range tags available to use with RFID. These tags can perform independent monitoring and can initiate communication with its receiver. One other feature related to performance of these tags is the bandwidth. These tags have maximum data bandwidth in compared to other type of available tags. Normally these tags can communicate up to 200 feet but the newer tags are capable of communicating up to 1KM.

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Passive Tags In contrast to active tags, passive tags do not contain any power source. However these tags get power from the signal field generated by the reader. A passive tag starts its operation once it enters in the field of radio waves emitted by the reader. It uses the radio waves to generate power and start its operations. It uses coiled antennae to generate magnetic field with the tag from which the tag draws power to energize the circuits. Utilizing the memory tag starts transmitting the encoded information. Passive tags may last up to 20 years, they are cheap compared to active tags and are very small in size. Some tags are even smaller than size of grain. The memory in these tags is read-only. The distance of operation in passive tags is less than twenty feet. Only power source is radio waves, there are no other sensors which can divert power source to some external media. Semi-Passive Tags In these tags features of both active and passive tags are combined. These tags have built-in power source for running the circuit but for communication purposes, power of antenna is generated through the same process used by passive tags. The range of this type of tags is similar to the range of active tags. However, battery life is longer than active tags because no power is consumed by antenna. (VTTS, 2010)

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Types of Memory in RFID Tags Two types of memories are available in RFID tags; one is read-only and other is readwrite memory. The read only memory is also called write once, read many or WORM. The data on these chips is stored only one time usually at the manufacturing phase. These data can be accessed multiple times according to need and requirement. On the other side data on read-write chips can be written more than one time and it can be accessed as and when needed. Information can be added or deleted in readwrite chips. Only information which cannot be erased or changed is the serial number of RFID tag. Additional blocks of data can be used to store additional information on these tags. Read-only microchips have information stored on them during the manufacturing process. The information on such chips can never be changed. WORM tags can have a serial number written to them once, and that information cannot be overwritten later. Different Frequencies of RFID Different types of electromagnetic waves are generated by RFID systems. Following four types are most common: Low Frequency (LF) This frequency is used in short distance communication. This system usually works on two frequencies; one is 125 KHz and other is 134 KHz. The range of this frequency is less than 0.5 meter or 1.5 feet. The reading speed of this technology is slower than other frequencies but capability of reading tags is stronger than any other frequency. Low frequency systems are tending to be less receptive to intervention. The LF spectrum is not considered a truly global application because of slight differences in frequency and power levels throughout the world.
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High Frequency (HF) High frequency has long range as compare to LF Systems. The range of reading is High-frequency RFID systems operate at 13.56 MHz, and feature a greater read range and higher-read speed than LF systems. The prices of tags used on high frequency are lower than any other kind of tags. Range of high frequency readers is around 3 feet and these tags are not good while reading the tags contained by the high metal or water content. HF provides various type of applications. This application includes the tracking of units remained on smart shelves and issuing serial to library books. It is also used to log the maintenance of sensitive machines and equipments which requires the periodical inspection such as fire repression systems.

Ultra High Frequency (UHF) Ultra high frequency ranges between 860 MHz to 930 MHz. North American countries usually utilize 915 MHz and in Europe normally units are operated on 868 MHz. There is no difference of cost between HF and UHF tags and readers but the read range of UHF reader is around 3 meter or 9.5 feet. The speed of data transfer is higher than LF and HF. UHF readers are poor in reading the tags which are surrounded in metal and water. The application of these types of codes includes Electronic Product Coding (EPC). Microwave Frequency (MF) This frequency operates only on two bands; 2.45 GHz or 5.8 GHz. The read range of MF is similar to Low frequency readers i.e. less than one meter but speed of reading is greater than all other available frequency. Readers of MF cannot read tags behind water and metal due to this application of MF is very limited. High cost and its operational limitations make it very difficult to deploy this system in toll collection. However one of MF application is its usage in supply chain management. (VTTS, 2010)

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Comparison of Reading Range

LF Frequency Range Read Range Market Share Coupling Existing Standards Application 125-134KHz 10 cm 74% Magnetic 11784/85, 14223 Smart Card, Ticketing Figure 18: Source: VTTS, 2010 HF 13.56 MHz 1M 17% Magnetic 18000-3.1, 15693, 14443 A, B and C Transportation UHF 866-915 MHz 2-7M 6% Electro Magnetic EPC C0, C1, C1G2, 18000-6 Transportation vehicle ID, Access/Security Transportation Vehicle ID (Road toll) MF 2.45-5.8 GHz 1M 3% Electro Magnetic 18000-4

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Advantages of RFID RFID tags have an ability to respond through plastic, wood, human body and other materials as well. This eliminates the dependency of line of sight between reader and tags. The new RFID tags can be read through metal and liquids as well. RFID is capable of detecting moving items easily and get the required information for the reader. Human intervention is needed to scan barcodes, an RFID tag can be detected and read without touching the surface of the item and even from a long distance. Barcodes must be visible and maybe tempered with, RFID tags can be installed inside the packaging or even inside the product making it almost impossible to destroy. ANPR and barcodes must be in the line of sight to read the number plates of moving vehicles, RFID does not require line of sight. Contactless identification from 1cm to 1km is possible. RFID tags have read/write memory capability so information on the tag maybe updated using secure methods. RFID can read information very fast which saves time and minimizes cost of extra labour and hence remove the human error. Precisely RFID is an efficient system which can be compared by any other system in terms of accuracy and precision. Generally RFID is considered as an expensive solution when compared with other similar systems. RFID equipment and deployment cost could be an issue but its running and maintenance cost could compensate the initial cost. Due to the compact design of tag, it is quite easy to mount anywhere without a limitation of space and cant be broken easily. Tags can be made more durable by embedding them into the plastic and make them more usable. They also have an ability to cope with diverse atmospheric conditions. RFID diverse and vast usage makes it valuable and worthwhile. (UsingRfid, 2008)
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Disadvantages of RFID RFID is more expensive solution compared to other technologies. RFID with basic functionality would not be very expensive but it would be expensive with hi specifications. Passive tags with its simple working are not much expensive but active tags with its exclusive working make RFID expensive solution. Problem of collision is seen in tags and readers. Several readings of one tag by the reader and signal interruption is noticed when RFID reader collision occurs. RFID readers sometimes overlap on each others covering area which causes RFID reader collision. Same is the case with tags when various tags are mounted in a smaller area. RFID operations involves payment verifications, this is more likely that there is a chance of scam, as RFID signals can be captured through antennas and information may be decrypted. RFID tags contain personal information about vehicle and its owner which could be used for any purpose later on. (Gilani, 2010) Sometimes passive tags are not scanned correctly Some companies demand license fee for each implementation of tags. The consumers are worried about their privacy. RFID tags dont follow a generic standard. There are variations in standards followed by RFID tag manufacturers such as ISOTAG, TAGitTag, IcodeTag. (Farragher, 2004)

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Security and Privacy issues in RFID In terms of security and privacy many challenges are faced by RFID systems. These complexities are result due to nature of RFID system and electromagnetic waves. Vulnerability is a security issue because total number of gates available is 400-4000 in terms of security mechanism. User privacy may get disturbed due to deployment of RFID tags in the Vehicles. Unauthorized users (hackers) may be able to read the information stored in RFID Tag. It is possible to monitor the reader-tag communication. Certain challenges may be faced by TfL during implementation of RFID system for congestion charging. Performance of readers and tags may vary with variance in environment. Selection of RFID tag and its placement in vehicle is directly linked with performance. Wave collision might be another issue which needs to be addressed. RFID tags are different from barcodes attached to clothing or other products. RFID tags carry important information which may be read without the owners consent or knowledge. Each tag has a unique serial number which may be linked to a particular person. These tags may be used to track people, vehicles or items and may be used to collect statistical data without the knowledge of owner. With a barcode based product, each product has same barcode all across the world. On the other hand each RFID tag has its own serial number and product information as well. A person entering a store with multiple items with RFID tags maybe read immediately about his possessions which maybe used for marketing purposes later on. (Ortiz, 2006)

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Summary of available technologies and possible solution

Keeping in view the above mentioned technologies and options, it is critical to select the right option for TfL. TfL may opt for electronic barriers at Motorway exit points or in the surrounding areas of congestion zone. This will ensure that 100% vehicles pay the toll tax. There will be no ANPR database and monitoring infrastructure needed as such. This will allow the TfL to reduce costs and it would not require maintenance of 1332 cameras installed on 280 sites. This allows efficient income flow and will deter many motorists due to possibly long queues and being unable to avoid the toll charges. Car cloning and number plate theft will not help criminals to avoid the toll charges. It will further reduce the traffic and help the environment. Keeping in view the traffic inflow into London this system may slow down the traffic significantly and may be opposed by many. The system may cause serious chaos as everyone in the morning needs to get to work on time and any regular delays will affect the business activities resulting in further economic loss. The other suitable solution to avoid the above mentioned is enhancement of current system using RFID technology. RFID is one the latest technologies and we can benefit from its features which are unique to many other available options. Each RFID tag has a unique serial number and even if someone copies information from one tag to the other, it will still be unusable as the serial number would be different from the one related to that particular vehicle. Sensitive information may still be stored at secure servers at the backend and ANPR system may be used as complimentary to the RFID system to be used for cars that do not have tags installed in them. These cars may still be treated in the current manner, or a separate toll with barriers should be installed which will cater for the cars without RFID tags. This will encourage regular users to purchase or install the RFID tags to avoid queues or delays in making payment on daily basis.

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RFID Resource Requirements

RFID implementation requires very careful step by step phased introduction. This process may include the following 4 stages: Application Definition / Business Case Development Technology Immersion Product Testing Product Pilto

Implementation of this project is out of the scope of this case study due to time constraints, limited resources and other constraints. Following diagram outlines the basic resource requirement for implementation of RFID in Congestion Zone.
RFID related requirements are discussed in the following pages. According to a TfL official, the existing computer hardware of TfL should be capable of handling information received from the RFID readers. Similar to an ANPR camera, the RFID reader will also send the number plate information of a car to the end station. The difference is that RFID information will be more accurate as it does not require any optical image capture, image processing and OCR functions. This will reduce the number of problematic queries. Currently TfL officials have to deal with approximately 8000 unprocessed queries every day for which 12 staff members go through the unprocessed data every day. A few modifications may be required in the software where ANPR data needs to be compared with RFID information to identify if someone is using a stolen or cloned RFID tag.

RFID Reader

RFID

RFID Writer

RFID Tags Computer Server Resource Requirements Computer Hardware Computer Terminals

LAN Connectivity Devices

Front End Software Software Back End Software Crystal Reports

Figure 19 Resource Requirement: Implementation of RFID for Congestion Charging Source: author of this paper

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RFID Writer This device is necessary to write unique identity of vehicle on RFID tag. All information related to vehicle is stored in the tag at the time of issuance. I have suggested to issue the tags by the Post Office when a user goes to obtain the tax disk. The RFID tag writer should be installed in main post offices or TfL centres from where users should be able to purchase the RFID tags. RFID Reader This device is required to track the vehicle entry and exit in congestion zone. RFID readers will be installed on all entry and exit points of congestion zone. These readers can be installed alongside ANPR cameras in order to streamline the communication. Since RFID readers come in network configuration, they will use the same network as ANPR cameras. The Software may require few minor modifications which are discussed in a later section. RFID Tags RFID tags are required to be installed in vehicles. Each tag will contain unique identity and have the basic information required for identification of vehicle. Further study is needed by technical experts to identify which types of tags are most suitable for this problem. Active tags have long range and can be installed under the dashboard of a car as they are the size of a cigarette packet. Passive tags are very small size and can be installed like a sticker on windscreen of a car. These tags last very long and should be printed on temper proof sticker sheet so that any attempt to remove them from the screen would damage the tag and the user will have to purchase a new tag from the post office.

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Design and Description In this proposed solution, Congestion Charging Zone is being managed using both technologies. According to this solution, both RFID and ANPR technologies are used to work together to eliminate previous problems of the system. To understand the working of the system, flow chart is used to describe the infra structure and process of new system.
Start

Traffic passes through gantry

ANPR Cameras capture each vehicle

RFID Reader check each vehicle for RFID tag

No RFID
ANPR information compared with RFID tag

RFID Yes
Information matched If RFID = 1 ANPR = 1

Information matched If RFID = 0 ANPR = 1

Images stored in ANPR existing System

Images discarded and Congestion Charging Applied

TfL handle this information through current system

Stop Figure 20: Design Diagram

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Installation of RFID tags in cars: A large scale campaign is required to install RFID tags in cars. I suggested that installation of RFID tags should be made mandatory for ALL cars in the UK instead of focusing only on London Congestion Zone. Since that work is out of scope of this study, I will try to suggest a solution for installation in London only. Regular visitors to the congestion zone should obtain RFID tags which may be placed on windscreen of the car. Depending on the budget and further technical recommendations by the experts active or passive tags may be selected. Since passive tags are smaller in size, they can be printed with barcode or Car Registration Number in big print and stuck inside the windscreen next to the Road Tax Disk. The material of the tag should be temper proof, tag should be damaged if someone tries to remove the sticker from the screen after first time installation. Active tags can be installed inside the car under the dashboard. These tags maybe provided by the post office when a user goes for road tax disk. If an RFID sticker is issued to a user then it should be recorded in the Tax database so that the number is not issued twice. Most interesting bit is that some experts might argue that if a tag is stolen or lost or cloned then the system wouldnt be able to detect the active tag. I strongly proposed that the serial number of tag should be associated with the car registration number. On RFID tags serial numbers are more like Media Access Control (MAC) Addresses in a network device and no two network devices in the world have same MAC address. Linking the RFID tag with the car registration number and storing the tag serial number with the car registration will help overcome this problem.

passive tag installation

Semi-passive or active RFID tag installation

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Data Processing in Congestion Zone

When vehicle enters into the CCZ, both ANPR and RFID systems operate in parallel to detect if vehicle is mounted with RFID tag or not. The ANPR system may be scrapped after all the cars entering the congestion zone are installed with a RFID tag or a temporary RFID tag may be issued from the entry barrier. It will be checked through a simple logic that when a car enters into CCZ, ANPR and RFID both get information of vehicle, it has 2 possibilities: 1. Vehicles with RFID tag

If vehicle is installed with RFID tag, RFID reader gets the details of passing vehicles and deducts the toll charges automatically using the stored information from the database. Besides that, ANPR also gets images and information of passing vehicles. ANPR and RFID information will be compared and if ANPR finds the same information of the vehicle on RFID system, ANPR will discard all the information of vehicle from its database. If the ANPR information differs from the RFID tag then the vehicle will be charged in current manner. 2. Vehicle without RFID tag Vehicles without RFID tags will be served by ANPR. When vehicle enters the system, RFID system will not be activated because it will not receive acknowledgement when car comes in the range of reader because of no tag. When ANPR compares the information with RFID system information and it finds nothing in RFID, it will save all the images and send it to the TfL central location for further processing as normal.

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Analysis of the proposed system

The proposed system is designed to enhance the capabilities of the current system and it will complement the existing ANPR system. Understandably every vehicle entering the congestion zone should have RFID tag installed in it in order to make the system useful. ANPR system will handle vehicles without RFID tags. The cost benefit analysis of using this system is discussed in a later chapter but for a matter of interest I find it pertinent to mention that the system may save around 30 million each year. Congestion charging zone is mainly used by people living or working in London, though people living outside London and United Kingdom also visit central zone but the ratio of the people visiting CCZ from outside the London is far less than the people living inside. TfL will need to bring all people on RFID system in order to make this system successful. Every new system takes some time to integrate into another system. It is essential to have RFID tag installation in each car. Automobile industry in the United Kingdom should be requested to install RFID tags built in the vehicles without disclosing their location or it may be a part of Electronic Control Module (ECM) system of the vehicle. For existing vehicle owners, it should be a mandatory part of MOT test to get the RFID tag installed in the car. TfL or Transport ministry can achieve this target within one year. Alternatively RFID tags maybe sold to the users at the time of obtaining road tax from the post office. The system should record serial number of the tag and associate it with the vehicle getting road tax. It is also explained in the previous chapters that cloning of tags wouldnt be possible if serial number of tag is associated with the vehicle number. RFID system in conjunction with ANPR will reduce the congestion zone crime to zero because it will be almost impossible to get around this system.

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The proposed system has the ability to integrate with the existing system. TfL is not required to buy new software or hardware to manage and interact with RFID. According to TfL official in 2010, operating system running at the TfL end station is installed by IBM and it is capable of managing ANPR and RFID information adequately. This system will deduct charge automatically through bank account of vehicles owner. Vehicles without tag will be charged through online deduction method by purchasing pay as you go tags for one day pass utility. According to DVLA (2011) Uninsured drivers inflict a major financial burden on other motorists, estimated at around 380 million each year or around 30 of the cost of each insurance premium. The damage caused in road traffic accident results in large number of claims for settlement by the Motor Insurers Bureau.

While discussing the other issues related with avoiding insurance DVLA (2011) mentioned in report that Uninsured drivers also impose other costs on society. Research and surveys show that uninsured drivers are more likely to be involved in road traffic accidents, fail to follow road traffic signs and signals and potentially be involved in other criminal activity. By introducing this system, DVLA and police department can save lot of economic loss, car lifting, thefts and accidents. RFID tags placed in every vehicle will remotely give information about the vehicle to the police officer without stopping the vehicle, It will be easier to relocate proposed system compared to existing system and Low maintenance cost will be required to maintain the system. The proposed system meets all the requirements of TfL and significantly decreases the losses caused by car number plate cloning and OCR problems.

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Cost / Benefit Analysis

Due to limitation on data availability, I will calculate the cost/benefit analysis based on certain assumptions. Some facts about the congestion zone are as follows:
all financial information is Annual Report and Statement of Account TfL 2010) (source of

Total Revenue generated by Congestion Zone Charging in 2010: 312.6m Around 72m is through penalties and 240m through direct CCZ charges One in 250 vehicles on London's road may have fake plates (BBC, 2005) Around 8000 unprocessed images are received by TfL End Station each day (Interview with TfL official), processed by 12 staff members, 5% remain unprocessed resulting in loss of fine/charge (400 unprocessed cars per day estimated loss 8.76 million per year)

Total number of cars entering the congestions zone each day are approximately 250,000 (DfT, 2010) Based on the above information around 1,000 cars with cloned number plates enter the congestion zone each day resulting in loss of approximately 22 million per year, based on standard charge the estimated annual loss will be 3.0 million.

Active tags cost 1 per tag and do not add too much cost to the user. The cost of readers varies from 2000 to 4000 each and further study is required to assess the exact number of required readers. On average estimated cost for equipment for existing 280 sites is 5.4 million. The hypothetical cost for installation of the whole system is 10 million. (the leaflets of proposed RFID tags and readers are attached in appendix)

Total estimated losses based on this research are as follows: Loss due to car number plate cloning 21.9 million per year Losses by unprocessed images 8.76 million per year 2% people not paying the fines 1.44 million per year Total losses recoverable through 32.1 million per year RFID

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The proposed system will overcome the problem of car cloning and unprocessed images resulting in recovery of this lost revenue 32.1 million each year. If my solution is implemented in wider perspective (all across UK all cars with RFID tags installed within one year) then the benefit of the system will be in many more hundreds of millions of pounds by recovering losses from Insurance companies, road tax and car cloning. It will reduce the crime significantly and provide more safety to buyers and sellers of cars. Police can carry RFID readers in any location (such as a motorway) and collect information about vehicles which is currently not possible using ANPR or Speed Cameras.

Conclusion
Recovery of 32 million for TfL and possibility of implementation at national level and benefitting in further 380 million pounds for insurance companies make this study lucrative enough to attract further interest. Keeping in view the above discussion based on technical aspects of RFID and financial benefits in recovery of losses, I consider this work to be feasible and suitable for implementation by TfL. Due to limitation of time, resources and knowledge of the author there may be some unaddressed areas. Despite these weaknesses the overall analysis of outcomes reflects that this project has great potential and is worth investing in, not only with the perspective of congestion zone in mind, but with a wider perspective of national implementation. The project at a national level will not only benefit the TfL but would help the Police department, Road Tax, MOT and would also be beneficial for Insurance Companies. During the ancillary research for this project, the author has learnt that future lies in total replacement of ANPR and other technologies with RFID. The ancillary study has also convinced the author that implementation of RFID is a more efficient way for Vehicle Tracking, fast checkouts at stores and management of Information.

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References and Readings

1. Allan, S. (2005). An investigation into the reasons for the rejection of congestion charging by the citizens of Edinburgh UK: Edinburgh [online] Available: http://www.geos.ed.ac.uk/homes/sallen/allen_et_al_2006.pdf. [Last accessed 15/12/2010] 2. Arthur, C (2003), London congestion charge leads to flood of false number plates, The Independent, UK: London [Online] Available: http://web.archive.org/web/20071210230753/http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi _qn4158/is_20030226/ai_n12672682 [Last accessed 27-11-2010] 3. Association of British Drivers (2010), Congestion Charge Fact Sheet, [online] Available: http://www.abd.org.uk/london_congestion_charge.htm [Last accessed 1212-2010] 4. BBC News (2005), Number plate theft 'on the rise', [online] Available: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/4340720.stm [Last accessed 18-12-2010]

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6. Blyth, P.T. (2005), Congestion charging: Technical options for the delivery of future UK policy, UK: New Castle [online] Available: www.sciencedirect.com [Last Accessed 13-12-2010] 7. Crabtree, J. et al. (2008), Technology for Electronic Scan Toll, US: Kentucky

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16. Hofman, Y. (2008), License Plate Recognition - A Tutorial, [online] Available: http://www.licenseplaterecognition.com/ [Last accessed 27-12-2010] 17. Impact and Monitoring Group, Traffic of London (2003), Congestion Zone Annual Report, UK: London [online] Available: [Last http://www.tfl.gov.uk/assets/downloads/Impacts-monitoring-report1.pdf accessed 20-11-2010] 18. Jones, P. M. (1998). Urban Road Pricing: Public Acceptability and Barriers to Implementation, in K. J. Button & E. T. Verhoef (eds.), Road Pricing, Traffic Congestion and the Environment. Issues of Efficiency and Social Feasibility (pp. 263284). Cheltenham, Edward Elgar Publishing.

19. Kiesling. L (2010), Road Congestion Pricing in Stockholm, [online] Available: http://knowledgeproblem.com/2006/08/29/road_congestion/ [Last accessed 18-122010] 20. Ortiz, S. (2006), How Secure is RFID? Technology News, IEEE Computer Society [online] Available: www.mrtdanalysis.org/press/English/technologyNews.pdf [Last accessed on 28-12-2010] 21. Qi, L. (2008), Research on Intelligent Transportation System Technologies and Application CHN: Wuhan 22. Road Traffic Technology (2010), Stockholm Congestion Charge Sweden, [online] Available: http://www.roadtraffic-technology.com/projects/stockholmcongestion/ [Last accessed on 13-12-2010]

23. Santos, G. and Fraser G. (2005), Road pricing: lessons from London, University and Oxford and University of Cambridge

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24. Sheth, N, (2007), London's Congestion Fee Begets Pinched Plate, The Wall Street Journal [online] Available: http://online.wsj.com/public/article/SB119396467957679995knn9B_El5rlJmyW5kOqDAjV6v_w_20071201.html?mod=tff_main_tff_top [Last accessed 12-12-2010]

25. The Process of Soft System Methodology (2010), [online] Available: http://www.orsoc.org.uk/about/teaching/strategicproblems/m_s_2.htm [Last Accessed 18-12-2010)

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27. TfL (2010), Interview with Martin Gubby On-Street Operations and Contracts Manager, Traffic for London 28. Traffic for London (2003), Congestion Charging Six Months on, UK: London [Online] /pdf/congestion-charging/cc-6monthson.pdf [Last accessed 20-11-2010] 29. Using RFID (2008), RFID's advantages & disadvantages explained, [online] Available: http://www.usingrfid.com/news/read.asp?lc=s44325nx1433zg [Last accessed 13-01-2010] Available: http://web.archive.org/web/20060515194436/http://www.tfl.gov.uk/tfl/downloads

30. Vehicle Tracking and Ticketing System (VTTS) Using RFID (2010) [online]
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31. Willoughby, C. (2000). Singapores experience in managing motorization and its relevance to other countries, Discussion Paper TWU-43, TWU Series, The World Bank April. http://www.worldbank.org/transport/publicat/twu_43.pdf [Last accessed on 25-12-2010]

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Appendices
Appendix A: RFID Reader and Tag Specifications (Products Brochure attached) Appendix B: Consent Form and Permission Letter for Conducting Research from TfL are attached

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