Alex Jones is reporting today that the State of Texas has proposed a bill (HB2893) requiring all vehicles to carry an electronic transponder. The
technology is to be embedded into special Inspection Certificates to be issued starting no later than January 1, 2006. The bill is being sold as a
Liability Insurance Compliance Program. However, upon closer reading "other uses" become apparent. Some quotes from HB2893:
www.infowars.com
Sec. 601.507. SPECIAL INSPECTION CERTIFICATES.
(a) Commencing not later than
January 1, 2006, the department shall issue or contract for the issuance of
special inspection
certificates to be affixed to motor vehicles that are inspected and found to be in proper and safe condition under Chapter 548.
(b) An inspection certificate under this section must contain a
tamper-resistant transponder, and at a minimum, be capable of storing:
(1) the transponder's unique identification number; and
(2) the make, model, and vehicle identification number of the vehicle to which the certificate is affixed.
(c) In addition, the transponder must be compatible with:
(1) the
automated vehicle registration and
certificate of title system established by the Texas Department of Transportation; and
(2) interoperability standards established by the Texas Department of Transportation and
other entities for use of the system of
toll roads
and toll facilities in this state.
...
This Act takes effect September 1, 2005.
Text of the Actual
Bill
Please visit the link provided for the complete story.
The bill follows an announced plan by Texas to build over 4,000 miles of expressways mostly consisting of toll lanes.
The Trans-Texas Corridor, almost a quarter-mile wide, would carry cars, trucks, trains and pipelines for water, oil, natural gas, electricity and
fiber optics. The roads would be built over the next 50 years at a cost of up to $185 billion, mostly with private money.
The network eventually would crisscross the state, diverting long-distance traffic onto superhighways designed to skirt crowded urban
centers.
source
As reported by INPUT (a leading provider of government market intelligence) this is part of an exciting trend to implement "Smart Highways" by using
wireless and radio frequency technologies. Exiting because there is an investment opportunity with an expected boost of state & local spending for
transportation IT systems from $1.8 billion in FY 2005 to $2.5 billion in FY 2009.
The new highway systems are being touted as a way to give drivers real-time traffic and weather updates but also have "other" applications.
Increased transportation technology investment will center on Dedicated Short Range Communications (DSRC), the technology expected to support
applications for "smart" highway initiatives such as real-time traffic and weather updates to motorists, comprehensive automobile tracking,
and universal electronic toll collection.
...
Jurisdictional investments in DSRC and other advanced technologies will continue to generate opportunity in this sector...
An increased number of homeland security initiatives for logistical management, tracking and control also will help bolster the market.
source
According to Alex Jones, California is also contemplating ways to tax drivers to increase revenues.
There is already a "toll only" highway around Toronto. It was built with public funds and then "privatised" (sold to a corporation) who
implemented a toll system and anybody can use it.
Cameras take a picture of your license plate (at all on- and off-ramps) and about a week later you get a bill in the mail with a photo of your plate
and time stamps. They charge you x per kilometer as well as a service charge for having to identify the vehicle. You can "save" money by getting a
transponder to avoid the service fee and pay a little less per kilometer.
But this is a plan to privatise the interstate highway system with complete implementation of universal electronic toll collection and tracking for
homeland security.
This goes much further than On-Star tracking (voluntary to a degree) and the occasional toll. It's compulsory and statewide.
Think gasoline is getting expensive? Wait until they start charging you by the mile.
.
[edit on 4/5/2005 by Gools]
[edit on 4/5/2005 by Gools]