Get to the Côte Fleurie in one go, without wasting time getting out your credit card? This is enough to make the 8 million motorists who travel each year on the Paris-Normandy axis dream. The manager of the motorways in the north and east of France, in other words Sanef, is preparing the 210 kilometers of the A14 and A13 for a small revolution: the removal of toll barriers in favor of a system called “free flow”. For the A14, the changeover will take place on the night of June 18 to 19. For the A13, the big piece, you will have to wait until December.
No more slowing down when approaching the terminals, the daring reversal of someone who has gotten into the wrong lane, the nervous search for their wallet under the pressure of the car behind, the extension – sometimes acrobatic – of the arm to through the window. Arnaud Quémard, the general director of Sanef, sees other advantages in this project, an investment of 120 million euros validated by the State in 2021: “Free flow toll technology makes it possible to streamline traffic, explains he, with savings in fuel – estimated at 9.5 million liters per year – and CO2 – 25,000 tonnes. The removal of barriers will also make it possible to return 28 hectares to nature here. 2027″. The equivalent of 40 football fields.
These 14 projects carried out simultaneously are an unprecedented challenge for Sanef. Three quarters of the amount invested is dedicated to the redevelopment of the road, which will no longer need to be widened for the needs of the barriers. The company has been testing the system since 2019 on a portion of the A4, east of Metz. Its competitor APRR has also been testing it since 2022, on the 88 kilometers of the A79, in Allier.
Smart sensors
Concretely, the motorist speeds unhindered, at 130 kilometers per hour, and passes without thinking under gantries equipped with intelligent sensors capable of detecting the vehicle and its category – light, heavy, motorcycle – according to the information given by the license plate. registration. Around thirty arches will span the roads from Paris to Caen, round trip.
We almost forget to pay. It is better to remember this however, because the bill can quickly add up for offenders. The road user has 72 hours to do so, with three options. Subscribe to electronic toll collection – provided you attach the badge to your windshield in a clearly visible manner rather than hiding it in your glove box. Half of Sanef’s customers have already made this choice, and its specialized subsidiary Bip & Go expects to see its sales benefit from the transition to free flow.
Second option, go to the Sanef.com website and pay online, after entering your license plate number. By creating an account, it is possible to associate your bank details and request a direct debit. Third way, go to an approved tobacconist, thanks to the partnership established with Nirio, a subsidiary of Française des Jeux – the only way for fans of cash to settle down. There will be 10,000 points of sale at the end of the year offering this service. To inform all its customers, the dealership had to carry out its first advertising campaign, working in conjunction with vehicle rental companies, communities, local Medefs and motorist associations.
The price of one night in Cabourg
What happens if something is forgotten – accidental or voluntary? After seventy-two hours, “Sanef consults the national registration file to retrieve the contact details of the vehicle owner, who will receive a payment notice by post, at the address appearing on his registration card”, explains Joselito Bellet, project manager free flow of manager. To the price of the toll is then added an increase of 90 euros, reduced to 10 euros if the mistake is repaired within two months.
“We are aware that we need to give customers time to understand this new system. The first time, we will send an awareness letter granting a delay without an increase,” indicates Joselito Bellet. A free warning, in short. “Our business model is not based on revenue collected from surcharges, we prefer that the customer makes payment within 72 hours,” he adds. At the end of the two months granted, the matter becomes complicated. “For Sanef, the turnover is lost and we transmit the non-payment of the toll to the Police Court, which can then transform it into a fine of €375”. The price of one night in the family suite at the Grand Hôtel de Cabourg.
Expert insight
For his part, Sanef has no room for error. Sending a payment notice to an innocent driver or at an incorrect rate, and the credibility of the system is undermined. “The automatic service is more than 99% reliable,” says Joselito Bellet. In case of doubt, for example if the plate is difficult to read, an operator takes control. Does the photo of the vehicle match the characteristics identified by the sensors? With an expert eye, these former toll employees retrained in customer relations centers will validate the operation or not.
For Arnaud Quémard, this technological change opens up new perspectives. “When we move to free flow, it becomes possible to implement a greater diversity of pricing.” Depending on its future directions, the State could decide to adjust prices according to the number of people in the vehicle, its weight or its level of CO2 emissions. On the scale of Sanef, the stakes are just as important. “This project is unifying and demonstrates the dynamics of the company. It has already allowed us to retain talent and attract people of very high technical level,” notes the general director. As the end of concessions approaches in 2031, it illustrates the group’s capacity for innovation. An argument to plead the renewal of the contract, when the time comes.
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