Automatic expressway toll system in Japan recovers after glitch
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Following the failure, the operator had opened affected lanes to traffic, allowing tolls to be paid online later.
PHOTO: THE JAPAN NEWS/ ASIA NEWS NETWORK
TOKYO - Automatic collection lanes that suffered a system failure resumed operation on April 7 after temporary measures were taken to deal with the disruption of more than 100 expressway toll gates across Tokyo and seven prefectures, the operator said.
The outage that occurred in the early hours of April 6 affected 17 of 23 expressways operated by Central Nippon Expressway Co in Tokyo, Kanagawa, Yamanashi, Nagano, Gifu, Shizuoka, Aichi and Mie prefectures.
According to the company, the malfunction was caused by a problem in its Electronic Toll Collection system.
“We have completed emergency restoration for all toll gates and are collecting fees using wireless communication,” the company said in a statement, adding that it will continue work for a full-fledged recovery.
Following the failure, the operator had opened affected lanes to traffic, allowing tolls to be paid online later.
Central Nippon Expressway said it began a system overhaul on April 5 ahead of a revision in late-night surcharges set to be introduced in July, and the work may have caused the failure. KYODO NEWS
