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Drivers from Maritime Transport have given a 100% approval rating of Midland Expressway’s new ANPR technology which is being piloted on the M6toll.

The trial sees Maritime and a number of other fleets paying for their journeys on the M6toll via the new Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) based tolling system.

ANPR cameras identify licence plate data, removing the need for card payments at the toll plazas and replace them with a remote payment system.

The system aims to provide seamless end-to-end journeys and allow customers to manage all transactions via the M6toll website, whether for a single vehicle or larger fleets spread across several depots.

The new ANPR-based tolling system is part of Midland Expressway’s wider ‘Road Ahead’ digital transformation programme.

The Maritime drivers were asked about their experience of the new system, including how they rated the ANPR system’s overall performance, its main benefits and any recommendations on how it might be enhanced or improved.

Every one of the drivers surveyed said the new ANPR technology made using the M6toll even better, with an average approval rating score of 9.6 out of 10 recorded in the responses.

When asked how the M6toll compared as a driving experience to alternative routes, all respondents rated it as better with 77% citing faster journey times as the main reason for its superiority to alternative regional routes.

In the hierarchy of reasons why the M6toll was a better route, 73% of drivers said it was more stress free, 44% said they considered it a safer road to travel on and 41% considered it to be a more predictable and reliable route.

Driver suggestions for improvements to enhance the performance of the ANPR system,

included more lane demarcation and signage to indicate ANPR lanes and an increased number of ANPR enabled lanes.

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Paul Heyhoe, Maritime Transport fleet director, said: “The positive feedback provided by our drivers is true recognition of the many fantastic advantages the M6toll’s new ANPR system has to offer, including improved reliability, fuel, and time efficiencies that enable seamless, contactless journeys for our drivers and other road users via one of the UK’s most important routes.

“We have no doubts it will continue to assist us with quicker and consistent journeys for our valued customers.”

Julie Davies, Midland Expressway commercial director, added: “We welcome the feedback from Maritime’s drivers on the new ANPR trial and are delighted to have received such positive approval ratings for the system.

“One of the key ambitions of the trial is to gauge the user experience and assess how successful the ANPR system is in delivering seamless, efficient and cost-effective journeys for our business customers.

“From the Maritime driver survey responses, the new ANPR system is achieving its ambitions and it’s very encouraging to see that the drivers using it are viewing it as a further benefit to using the road.”

The Maritime driver survey is the first user feedback obtained from businesses taking part in the trial. Since Maritime first trialed the ANPR system in April, a further 11 companies including Huntapac, Culina, Menzies Distribution and Wincanton have been added to the pilot project.

Drivers from Huntapac, the Lancashire-based vegetable producer which runs its own fleet, have also praised the ANPR trial for its ability to ‘keep them moving’ in the midst of increased congestion on the M6 and the surrounding regional road network.

Joanne Cleece, Huntapac head of transport, said: “Our drivers have really enjoyed the ANPR trial and there have been no complaints from them using the new system.

“With the country now back in full swing and the roads such as the M6 becoming more congested as a result, our drivers just want to keep moving and the M6toll and the ANPR system has enabled them to do that.

“By getting on the M6toll, we can avoid the stop start traffic experienced on other routes and enjoy the time saving benefits vital to our business. We were happy to take part in the trail and given how well it’s gone, we plan to continue on the ANPR system going forward.”

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