Time-based Tolls

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Introduction

This page is intended to document methods of dealing with time-based tolls: where a route is available 24/7 but tolls are only charged some of the time (e.g. rush hour). Since Waze doesn't currently implement time-restricted tolls, the following are some methods that can be used to emulate them.

These situations can be dealt with by using 2 parallel segments: one segment will be marked as toll, whilst the other will be used to "bypass" it when the toll isn't in operation. If these segments are drawn to the sort of scale seen below, at the highest zoom level, they will be invisible on the client.

In all the examples, the toll that we are trying to emulate is operational from 9am until 5pm Monday to Friday.

If the route is not available when the toll is not in operation (e.g. a short, paid ferry route) then that can simply be implemented by using a toll segment with time-based restrictions.

On a 1-way segment

This is the simplest example. What you see here is 4 segments. The segments on either end are parts of the "original" one-way segment. This has been broken and 2 additional segments inserted in the middle. These 2 new segments must overlap as they leave a junction - otherwise the client will give "keep left/right" instructions. They are then "spread apart" in the middle to make the existence of 2 segments visible.

The upper segment should be marked as toll. This will only be available for routing if the client has the Avoid Toll option turned Off.

The lower segment is the bypass. This segment should have a time-based restriction set to restrict travel from 09:00-17:00 Monday-Friday (the operation hours of our example toll). That means that outside the normal toll hours, this section will be available for routing regardless of the Avoid Toll setting.

On a 2-way segment

In this case, the time-based toll operates in both directions on a 2-way segment. The red arrows indicate that u-turns have been disabled from either central segment to the other.

Again, the upper segment would be marked as toll. The lower segment would have time restrictions set to restrict travel from 09:00-17:00 Monday-Friday in both directions

On a 2-way segment - but toll only in 1 direction

This is a situation that we see with the London Congestion Charging Zone (CCZ). Tolls are only charged on entering the CCZ. If exits from the CCZ are also marked as toll and 1 segment is missed, drivers from inside the CCZ will all be routed to that exit point if they have Avoid Tolls switched On.

In this case, the toll is operational from A→B but not B→A. The upper segment is again marked as toll with no time restrictions.

The lower segment has time restrictions set to restrict travel from 09:00-17:00 Monday to Friday from A→B only. That way it only bypasses the toll segment outside the hours of toll operation but always allows travel in the other direction