Against the Odds: According to Arpent Technologies, Paris Gridlock Proves Need for New Approaches to Traffic Management
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NEW YORK & GALWAY, Ireland -- March 24, 2015: Arpent Technologies, a supplier of dynamic road-usage solutions to replace fuel taxes and tolls, has said that the on-going traffic chaos in Paris, France, proves the need for new thinking and fresh technology in order to mitigate the burgeoning cost of congestion on the global economy. The French authorities today took the unprecedented step of banning cars with odd-numbered registration plates from the nation’s capital in order to reduce congestion and air pollution by reducing the number of cars on the road by half.
“Today’s traffic crisis in Paris highlights the complete inadequacy of existing road pricing and traffic management systems when faced with the on-going explosion in car usage and the increasing global congestion problem this is bringing.”
Commenting on the Parisian situation, Arpent founder and Chairman Declan Ganley said:
“Today’s traffic crisis in Paris highlights the complete inadequacy of existing road pricing and traffic management systems when faced with the on-going explosion in car usage and the increasing global congestion problem this is bringing.”
He added: “Arpent’s unique solution would alleviate the Parisian situation in a manner that is fair instead of arbitrary. By using location-based-technology and a dynamic marketplace to price all road space based on demand in real time, we will unleash market forces to efficiently allocate traffic across all routes and incentivize people to make less urgent journeys at off-peak times, thus reducing congestion.”
The current model of funding roads and charging users based on fixed fuel taxes and an annual road tax does nothing to encourage efficient use of the road network. We see this every day in the world’s most congested cities, and we are seeing a particularly egregious example in Paris today. Half of French motorists are paying the price for an outdated system, and are paying it in a completely arbitrary manner. This is unacceptable.
The Arpent alternative would see road users given, via a dynamic marketplace for road space, the choice to travel at peak times at a premium rate, or off-peak times at a discount. It would price routes and roads according to demand at a given moment, and by allocating a price to every square foot of road space based on current demand, would also incentivize the use of less congested routes.
Mr. Ganley said: “Ultimately, Paris and other cities face a choice between arbitrarily punishing motorists for having an odd-numbered license plate, or using market forces to reduce congestion. We at Arpent believe in the power of our market-based technology to empower consumer choice, reduce congestion, and deliver a new paradigm in road funding. With Arpent’s revolutionary approach, days like today in Paris need never happen again.”
