News

Canada's Confederation Bridge evaluates self-service tolls for overnight traffic

May 2, 2014

Strait Crossing Bridge Limited, which operates the 12.9 km (8 mile) Confederation Bridge connecting Prince Edward Island to Canada's mainland, is considering the possibility of taking only automated self-service credit and debit card payments at night.

Transport Canada has been given the bridge's operator the go-ahead to assess the possibility of the switch, according to a CBC report.

Confederation Bridge already has two self-service tolls as well as toll operators. However, late at night attendants at the seven manned lanes are at risk of getting robbed or attacked, the bridge's general manager, Michel Le Chasseur, told the CBC. He believes it is better to take action before any incidents happen.

But receiving authorization to study self-service tolls does not mean the project will necessarily go ahead, Le Chasseur told the Journal Pioneer. The toll booth workers often act as tourist guides to visitors and the bridge needs to maintain its services to the public, he said.

The other important issue is whether self-service tolls are sustainable and cost-efficient, Le Chasseur said. All details need to be considered before a pilot project begins, and the assessment plan will not be ready until August 2014, he said. The pilot, expected to start in the fall, will be reviewed before a final decision is made.

Customers who do not want to use credit or debit cards could buy a bridge gift card ahead of time, Le Chasseur told the CBC, and, if card machines malfunctioned, staff monitoring cameras and intercoms would step in.