Via Verde

Via Verde logo on a sign for the A6 motorway. The lane on the left is reserved for the Via Verde system, the other two lanes for toll payment in cash ( portagem ).

Lane with the Via Verde logo in front of the Ponte 25 de Abril in the Margem Sul do Tejo . The toll station can easily be driven through on the special lane, the amount is debited from the account.

Via Verde is the electronic toll payment system on the Portuguese motorways .

In 1994 the system received the Toll Innovation Award from the International Bridge, Tunnel and Turnpike Association . In 2007 Via Verde had more than two million customers out of a population of just under ten million in Portugal .

history

Via Verde was developed at the University of Aveiro and introduced in April 1991 by the Portuguese motorway operator Brisa .

The system has been used across the board for all toll motorways and bridges since 1995.

Function and distribution

When driving in the lane reserved exclusively for Via Verde customers at the toll booths, an RFID chip attached to the windshield is scanned. The customer's data is passed on via this, so that the corresponding toll amount can be automatically debited from the driver's account. If the chip is not valid or does not exist, the vehicle will be photographed to enable criminal prosecution.

In addition to automating toll collection, the system also increases the flow of traffic on Portuguese motorways. The maximum speed on the Via Verde lanes is between 40 and 60 km / h, although it is also designed for speeds of around 200 km / h. The system was very successful in Portugal, also because the toll can be debited from any bank account.

Due to the widespread use of the Via Verde, the system is now also used in other areas. For example, you can sometimes pay with the Via Verde in parking garages and at Galp petrol stations.

Ownership structure

Via Verde is 60% owned by the Portuguese motorway operator and largest concessionaire Brisa - Auto-estradas de Portugal , 20% by the multibanco ATM operator SIBS - Sociedade Interbancária de Serviços and 20% by the Portuguese motorway concessionaire Ascendi .

Web links

Commons : Via Verde  - collection of images, videos and audio files

• Official website of the Via Verde (Portuguese)

Individual evidence

1. ↑ History of BRISA, nineties  ( page no longer available , search in web archives )  Info: The link was automatically marked as defective. Please check the link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. (Portuguese)  
2. ↑ History of BRISA, years after 2000  ( page no longer available , search in web archives )  Info: The link was automatically marked as defective. Please check the link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. (Portuguese)  
3. ↑ Universidade em que nasceu o Sapo ea Via Verde faz 40 anos - “The university where Sapo and Via Verde were created is turning 40” , article of December 16, 2013 in the newspaper Jornal de Notícias , accessed on February 8, 2017
4. ↑ Company information on the Brisa website , accessed on February 8, 2017