Toll road

The first collection points in Europe dating back to the 15th century looked like barriers with spikes that function as protection against sudden attacks by foot travelers and riders. Later posts were in the form of horizontal outposts with protruding spears. There are also references to horizontal crosses rotating on a vertical axis, which were installed at the posts and did not allow the free passage of riders. These devices resemble modern turnstiles.

In Russia, the function of duty collection posts was performed by postal stations operating since the 70s of the 17th century, when regular postal service was introduced. In the 18th century it was allowed to transfer station contents to private individuals with the right to use running money (fare on postal roads) - this is how free mail developed. Running money was calculated by the number of miles and horses. The size of the running money was: for free-mail stations - 4 kopecks per mile and a horse, for stations given as maintenance according to normal conditions - 3 kopecks per mile and a horse, except for some tracts where there are higher or lower rates. In addition, those traveling at stations that were served according to normal conditions paid a fee of 10 kopecks in favor of the treasury for the transfer of each horse. From the biographical information of A.S. It is known to Pushkin that “depending on the tracts, the run for a horse and a mile away was: from Moscow to St. Petersburg - 10 kopecks., Along the tracts of Moscow, Belorussky, Yaroslavsky and others - 8 kopecks. etc. The number of horses that were issued to those traveling according to their rank and title was strictly regulated by "highly approved" schedules. "Person of the 1st class" received 20 horses. Rides for those traveling on official need were issued according to the number of horses followed. Pushkin, who received the rank of college secretary (10th grade) upon graduation from the lyceum, and since 1831, a titular adviser (9th grade), was entitled to only three horses. ”

Many modern European roads were originally designed as tolls with the goal of subsequently compensating for the costs of construction and operation, as well as an additional source of budget revenue for users who are not residents of this region. As far back as the 14th century in England, some of the most exploited roads were repaired with funds received from users. However, too high tariffs set to reduce traffic flow are sometimes an obstacle to trade, increasing the transport tax.

Since about 1706, Trusts for the operation of toll roads were established in England and Wales with the aim of improving and developing the urban and interurban road network and transport links. These bodies were appointed by separate parliamentary acts and were vested with the power to collect fees for the use of the road, which reimbursed the costs of construction, reconstruction and operation of the most important roads. In 1830, about 1,000 trusts managed about 30,000 miles (48,000 km) of toll roads in England and Wales, collecting toll at nearly 8,000 points. Trusts were abolished in the 1870s, during the time of its existence, significantly improving the road transport infrastructure of states, contributing to the development of agriculture and trade.

In the 20th century, modern toll roads were introduced in Europe with the aim of financing the construction of roads and road structures, such as bridges, tunnels, etc. Italy was the first country in Europe to introduce tolls on a 50-kilometer long-distance road section near Milan in 1924. It was followed in 1927 by Greece, in which users had to pay tolls on a network of intercity roads. Later, in the 50s and 60s, construction of roads on the basis of concession relations began in France, Spain and Portugal, which allows for the rapid development of infrastructure without the use of large government investments.

To date, the system of toll motorways has been successfully introduced throughout Europe, Asia, the USA, Canada, Australia, the countries of South America and North Africa. Such an example is the construction of the new Meridian highway connecting Europe with Asia through China through Russia.

There are three systems of toll roads: open (with assembly points blocking the main traffic), closed (collection of funds at the entrance / exit) and electronic toll system (no collection points; electronic collection at the entrance / exit and strategic sections of the main road).

In an open system, the entire flow of transport passes through special collection sites for the payment of duties. Although this option can save money due to the lack of the need to build toll collection points at each exit of the road, it can cause traffic congestion, and drivers, in turn, can evade the payment of fees by driving off and back on the road.

In a closed system, motorists buy tickets at the entrance to the road. In some cases, the ticket shows the amount payable. When leaving the road, the driver must pay the specified amount. Usually, if the ticket was lost, the driver has to pay the maximum amount. On short toll roads of intermediate entrances and exits, there can only be one payment point at one end. Motorists moving in any direction pay a fixed amount at the entrance or exit.

One of the options for a closed system involves the installation of fundraising points at both ends of the road. In this case, the motorist pays a fixed amount at the entrance, as well as additionally pays the bill when leaving the toll road; no ticket needed.

The electronic system requires the installation of a special compact transponder in the car , which is attached to the windshield and contains information about the account of the car owner. Modern equipment of electronic payment systems allows you to exchange data with a transponder at full speed. Thus, payment is made without having to stop the car.

Modern toll roads often use a combination of all three of these toll types. Many entry / exit assembly points along the way are occasionally supplemented by toll systems along the main traffic.

Some toll roads only charge in one direction. For example, in the UK, in the place where the M4 crosses the River Severn on either of the two bridges ( Seversky and Second Seversky ). Traffic on these bridges is free from Wales to England , but you need to pay on the way back. This is justified only in cases where the free roundabout is too long - in this case about 40 miles.

Payments can be made by cash, credit card, prepaid card or electronic payment system. In some European countries, payment is made using stickers that are attached to the windshield. Collection points can be automated. The fee may depend on the distance and type of vehicle .

There were no toll roads in the USSR . On December 8, 1992, President of Russia Boris Yeltsin signed Decree No. 1557 of On the Construction and Operation of Roads on a Commercial Basis, which became the basis for the creation of toll roads in Russia. In the early 1990s, it was decided to open the first toll roads: a new bridge across the Don between Voronezh and Semiluki (built in 1993, paid traffic in 1994-2002), Zorinsky overpass in Saratov (built in 1998, paid traffic in 1998— 2000) and a new bridge in Ulyanovsk (built in 2009, paid traffic was never organized) ^[1] . Following the pilot projects, a new bridge was opened across Usmanka near Voronezh (paid in 1995-1999 ^[2] ), a detour of the village of Khlevnoye (paid from April 22, 1999) in the Lipetsk region and others.

Management of federal toll roads in the country is carried out by the state company Russian Highways (Avtodor Group of Companies). As of October 2012, Russia had two toll sections on the federal highway M4 Don (Moscow - Novorossiysk) - a bypass of the city of Zadonsk and the village of Khlevnoye in the Lipetsk Region , 50 km long and a stretch from 48th to 71st km in Moscow area . ^{[3] [4]} There are also a number of paid sections on regional roads, in particular, in the Pskov region there are four paid sections ^[5] : Ostrov - Vyshgorodok (62 km), Pechory - Stary Izborsk (23 km), Opochka - Dubrovka - the border with the Republic of Belarus (82 km) and Usvyaty - Nevel (58 km). The fare varies from 1 to 17 rubles per kilometer depending on the carrying capacity of the vehicle. Since May 2011, it has been a paid five-kilometer part of the Western High-Speed ​​Diameter - the inter-city highway in St. Petersburg (from the Ring Road to Blagodatnaya Street , with a ramp to Automobile Street ) ^[6] . Starting January 1, 2014, the “New exit onto the Moscow Ring Road from the federal highway M1 Belarus Moscow-Minsk-Brest” is a toll road. In addition, the future section of the Meridian highway, connecting several Russian regions along the way from Europe to China, will be paid.

As of December 2010, the construction or design of the following federal toll roads is underway:

• Highway Moscow - St. Petersburg (construction);
• Central Ring Road (TsKAD) in the Moscow Region (construction);
• A number of sections of the reconstructed M4 Don highway will be converted into tolls after completion of the reconstruction.
• 70 km section of the M3 highway in the Kaluga Region

Toll roads of municipal importance.

In 2016, a concession agreement was signed between the urban settlement of Naro-Fominsk of the Naro-Fominsk municipal district of the Moscow region and Naro-Fominskaya Tollnaya OOO LLC for the design, construction and operation of a municipal highway on a paid basis, bypassing the center of Naro-Fominsk. A new two-lane road with a length of 2.6 km will connect the Kubinskoye Shosse exit to the M1 highway and the Naro-Fominsk- Novonikolskoye - Vasilchinovo highway that goes to the M3 highway. The planned start date for the operation of the road on a paid basis is 2019. The term of the concession agreement is 49 years, the life of the road on a paid basis is 35 years. ^[7]

Perspectives

In accordance with the law on Avtodor Group of Companies signed by Dmitry Medvedev , the following can be declared paid:

• newly constructed roads running parallel to the existing ones (if the road is the only one, then it cannot be paid);
• the reconstructed part of the old road (which causes complaints because the construction of this road has already been funded). The closest prospect of this kind is the M4 Don route, which Sergey Ivanov spoke about on August 31, 2009: “It is possible that certain sections of the Don route will become paid” ^[8]

Dmitry Medvedev also approved the construction project of Russian Holding Company CJSC of the first private Meridian highway from Kazakhstan to Belarus, which connects Western China and Europe in Russia. ^[9]

• Toll Roads in Europe
• List of Toll Roads
• Toll roads in Belarus
• Meridian (highway)

• Bent Fliveborg, Niels Bruzelius, Werner Rothengatter. Megaprojects and Risk An Anatomy of Ambition. - M .: Alpina Publisher , 2014 .-- 288 p. - ISBN 978-5-9614-4769-9 .

• All toll roads of Russia on the ROADS.RU forum are a separate section of the forum: projects, news, discussions.
• " Golden potholes ." A. Alekseev, Yu. Moiseenko. Rossiyskaya Gazeta , No. 212 (4769), 10.10.2008.
• " List of four toll roads in the Pskov region with prices ." The list of all four toll roads of the Pskov region on the official website of the Pskov region.