Kapsch TrafficCom has secured a contract to deliver and operate Lithuania’s truck tolling system, marking the world’s first public tender for satellite-based tolling via smartphone app. The Vienna-based company will implement the system across 2,851 km of Lithuanian roads.
The €13.4 million contract, awarded in February by Via Lietuva, Lithuania’s roadway institution, covers system delivery within eight months and technical operations for five years. The scheme will toll vehicles weighing more than 3.5 tons, replacing the country’s previous vignette system with distance-based charging.
The system uses satellite technology to match location data from smartphones with a map of Lithuania’s road network, calculating tolls based on actual distance travelled. According to Michael Weber, head of sales EMEA at Kapsch TrafficCom, the approach eliminates the need for roadside infrastructure, enabling more efficient development and operation than conventional toll methods.
“Our system is also able to integrate data from EETS (European Electronic Toll Service) providers and track and trace devices, giving users the freedom to bring their own devices in addition to the smartphone app developed by us,” says Weber.
Users will pay tolls through the Kapsch-developed app, which accepts Google Pay, Apple Pay, credit and debit cards, and fuel cards. The system includes route pass options for short-notice users and processes all data in compliance with GDPR and current security standards. Data storage and processing will occur in Lithuanian government-owned data centres.
According to Juras Taminskas, minister of transport and communications of Lithuania, the agreement represents a turning point after five years of stagnation. “Lithuania becomes the first Baltic country to introduce e-tolling,” says Taminskas. “We are applying the right principle: those who drive and pollute more contribute more to the maintenance of roads. At the same time, it is also a technological breakthrough: e-tolling will contribute to the safety and intelligence of Lithuania’s roads.”
Carolin Treichl, executive vice-president EMEA at Kapsch TrafficCom, says the company will deliver a complete user experience through the toll app. “From the GDPR-compliant handling of location data to displaying toll amounts, payment processes and previous trips, this is a milestone for our industry,” notes Treichl.
Lithuanian authorities have adopted a solution-as-a-service approach, which Martynas Gedaminskas, chief executive of Via Lietuva, says will enable transparent and fair charging whilst ensuring stable funding for Lithuania’s Road Fund.
“The partnership with Kapsch TrafficCom gives us confidence that the system will be deployed on time, securely, and in line with the highest standards,” explains Gedaminskas. “By signing this contract, we are entering a new phase in road network management and taking a leadership in the Baltic region.”
The system is expected to go live in early 2027. Kapsch TrafficCom will showcase the technology at Intertraffic Amsterdam from 10-13 March.
