Hungarian (HU-GO)

As of 1 July 2013, Hungary also introduced the electronic toll collection system (UD), called HU-GO, which is proportional to the distance travelled. The toll payment system covers designated sections of the Hungarian road network (motorways, motorways and trunk roads), totalling more than 6 500 km of toll roads. The HU-GO system complies with the 2004 Directive (2004/52/EC) issued by the Commission of the European Union, which foresaw the establishment of the so-called European Electronic Toll Service (EETS).

Which vehicles are affected by the E-toll payment system?

From 1 July 2013, all heavy goods vehicles over 3.5 tonnes maximum permissible weight will be subject to tolls on designated road sections. The vehicles subject to the charge are divided into 4 categories according to the number of axles: J2 for vehicles with two axles, J3 for vehicles with three axles and J4 for vehicles with four (or more) axles.

How can toll declarations be made in the new system?

There are two ways to declare tolls in the HU-GO system:

With a pre-purchased contact ticket (individually)

The relative ticket is a one-off entitlement to use the planned route only and must be purchased before the toll road use (up to 30 days in advance). It may be advantageous for those who do not wish to use toll roads in Hungary on a regular basis but on pre-planned routes.

With OBU device (with the help of a declaration intermediary)

Accounting for the distance travelled is based on coordinates collected by an on-board device installed in the vehicle. It works by using a GPS-based fleet tracking service provider to transmit the data received from the vehicle to the NÚSZ Zrt. as a so-called ‘declaration intermediary’. This solution allows hauliers to submit toll declarations from their vehicles equipped with fleet tracking or GPS tracking devices via an on-board device after a HU-GO registration.

The on-board unit (OBU) declaration does not require a pre-defined route, but only the provision of sufficient funds in the current account created with the NÚSZ Zrt. during registration to cover the use of the toll roads. 96% of Hungarians and more than one third of foreigners already use OBUs, knowing that, in case of frequent use, the automatic declaration of the device based on the location coordinates is much easier and more convenient than the payment by relative ticket. It is recommended for those who frequently use toll roads.

ITS OBU SMARTPHONE APP TO SUPPORT E-TOLL PAYMENTS

Provides real-time information on the E-toll payment data of vehicles registered in the HU-GO system, and sends an immediate push message to the driver in case of changes. If necessary, a change of axle number category is provided via the application.

Vehicle information: company name, registration number
HU-GO status: active / suspended
HU-GO axle number category: J2 / J3 / J4 with possibility to change
HU-GO last successful purchase date
HU-GO balance status: compliant / non-compliant.

When is road use unauthorised and what are the penalties?

In all cases, it is the user’s responsibility to pay the toll in accordance with the rules. It is therefore worth being aware of the cases of unauthorised use, the penalties and how to avoid them.

TOP 5 mistakes

For OBU registration and relative ticket design, it is important to have the correct registration number and the license plate number, as this is another important parameter for the clear identification of the vehicle. These data cannot be corrected in the HU-GO system after the fine has been imposed.
When coupling or uncoupling a trailer or a tractor unit, it is important to enter the correct axle number. For example, if you hook a trailer on a two-axle vehicle and it continues its journey on four axles, the J2 axle number must be changed to J4, and if you uncouple it, it must be reset to J2. An incorrect axle number will result in an administrative penalty. The change of axle number must be made in the system before the start of the journey.
It is important to know that a relative ticket only entitles the holder to a single journey in one direction on the planned route. Therefore, in case of a non-scheduled change of route, a new ticket must be purchased! When can a change of route take place? If the Chief calls, if traffic is diverted due to an accident or congestion…
When paying tolls with an on-board device, it is a good idea to check before the journey that the on-board device is switched on, working properly, assigned to the vehicle and that the current account has the balance needed for the journey. It is advisable to set the low balance notification in the user profile to give the user the opportunity (sufficient time) to top up the balance after reading the e-mail notification.
A very high number of OBU users do not set a low balance notification, and there is also a significant number of users who request a notification at a level of around 15 000 HUF. This does not leave much room for the user to react, since for example, for a four-axle modern truck (J4, environmental category A) driving on the M5 motorway, this is barely enough to cover a Budapest-Röszke route.
In addition, it is recommended to activate the alarm function in order to avoid a series of fines due to user error. The alert function sends a warning to the e-mail address of the user registered in the HU-GO system if the control system detects or presumes unauthorised use of the road. It is important to note that the alert system does not change the fining procedure due to legal compliance, the data related to the unauthorised use of the road will be transferred to the Authority in the closed control system. The alert function will be available to all users registered in the HU-GO system, whether they pay their tolls by purchasing a relative ticket or by using an on-board device. The alert function is inactive by default. This function must be activated by registered users on request.

How can you avoid E-toll penalties?

Using our e-toll collection system, toll payments are automated.

All you need to do is ensure a positive balance, OR….

ITS Protecton Ltd., together with its partner, offers a solution for automatic toll (HU-GO) balance replenishment, primarily for hauliers who use the ITS vehicle tracking system to pay tolls for vehicles over 3.5 tonnes. The essence of the service is that when a haulier’s HU-GO account balance reaches the “low balance” level, an automatic predetermined balance top-up is performed, thus minimising the possibility of errors.

ITS Protection Ltd’s internal “blacklist” has stricter requirements for the uploaded balance than the HU-GO system’s blacklist, so that even after an alert is sent out, you have sufficient time to upload the balance for toll payment.

Using the tracking device installed in the vehicle, the section tickets are automatically redeemed for the current road section based on the GPS coordinates. You will not be penalised in the event of a traffic diversion or other route change.

Android and iOS app, which is available from ITS Protection Kft. has been created to support users in paying e-tolls with OBU devices. It provides real-time information on the e-toll payment data of vehicles registered in the HU-GO system, and sends an immediate push message to the driver in case of changes. If necessary, a change of axle number category is provided via the application.

Vehicle information: company name, registration number
HU-GO status: active / suspended
HU-GO axle number category: J2 / J3 / J4 with possibility to change
HU-GO last successful purchase date
HU-GO balance status: compliant / non-compliant.

Data required for access: OBU ID and OBU PIN.

The user interface is clean, easy to understand and simple to use for the average user.

Technical support is available from 9-17 hrs via our Customer Service hotline: +36 70 456 0032

0-24 hours you can leave a message at our e-toll Call Centre: +36 1 655 5383