Toll collection involves charging a fee for the use of a good or service, such as roads and bridges. The process has become more automated over time, but a collector is usually still present. Toll collection generates income for the owner and can fund repairs and government services.
Toll collection is the process of receiving a fee or charge associated with the use of a good or service. The term is usually applied to the collection of tolls on roads and bridges, where a fee is charged for the use of these facilities. Tolls are also charged in exchange for usage on some telecommunications services, although this has started to change in recent years.
In some situations, the toll collection process is manual. This is usually the case for toll roads and bridges. An individual designated as a toll collector is positioned at a strategic point where it is possible to collect the toll from anyone wishing to cross the bridge or continue along the road. The collector is normally housed in a tollbooth located at the entrance to the bridge or at the beginning of the highway.
At the same time, the process of collecting tolls along roads and bridges did not involve much in terms of equipment. The collector would manually collect the fee, make exchanges if necessary, and then raise a bar blocking the path so the paid customer could proceed. Over time, this process became more mechanized, allowing the collector to take the fee and press a button to activate a hydraulic lift that removed the barrier. Today, there are examples of bridges and toll roads that function using a fully automated system. In this case, computer-driven equipment automatically records the transaction and drives a motor that moves the barrier, allowing the paying customer to pass.
Even when the system is fully automated, a collector is usually still present. The collector has the ability to make changes and answer questions from drivers passing through the toll gate. He can also take appropriate action if someone tries to pass without paying the necessary toll.
With telecommunications services, toll collection was a process that involved applying a toll rate to the customer’s account. This normally happened when the customer tried to place a call outside the local exchange’s jurisdiction. Payphone systems required the customer to deposit coins into the system to pay toll charges on a long-distance call. With the advent of wider calling areas and many plans that do not impose tolls for calls outside the local area, relatively few telephone customers have to pay tolls today, even when using landlines.
Typically, toll collection is a means of generating more income for the owner of the good or service. In the case of toll roads, the cost of tolls often allows states and local jurisdictions to levy revenue that can be used to fund bridge and road repairs, as well as support other services offered by the local or state government.
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