Ensuring that transport regulations are followed is crucial for road safety, environmental sustainability, and infrastructure protection. However, traditional enforcement methods such as random weigh station checks and manual inspections are often time-consuming, costly, and inconsistent. The Smart Enforcement of Transport Operations (SETO) project aims to change that by introducing advanced technologies that make enforcement smarter, faster, and more effective.
One of the biggest challenges in transport regulation is overloaded vehicles. Trucks carrying excess weight accelerate road and bridge deterioration, increasing maintenance costs and safety risks. While weight limits exist across Europe, enforcement remains difficult, i.e., static weigh stations are expensive to operate and cause delays for drivers. SETO addresses this by contributing to direct enforcement through Weight-in-Motion (WIM) solutions and onboard weighing systems, enabling efficient weight enforcement without disrupting traffic flow.
Another key issue is route compliance, as large vehicles often bypass restrictions meant to protect certain roads or urban areas. Enforcing these rules is challenging without reliable tracking. Additionally, vehicle condition and driving time regulations still rely heavily on manual checks, which are resource-intensive and lack cross-border coordination.
By leveraging sensors, GNSS, artificial intelligence, and digital platforms, SETO is transforming enforcement into a fairer, more automated system, reducing costs, improving safety, and minimizing road user delays.
How Does SETO Improve Enforcement?
In this article, we will focus on WP2: Assistive Technologies of the SETO project, which focuses on two main areas:
- Enforcing vehicle weight regulations – ensuring that trucks comply with legal weight limits.
- Monitoring vehicle positioning – using advanced satellite navigation to track whether vehicles follow the correct routes and rules.
WIM: Catching Overloaded Vehicles Without Stopping Them
One of the biggest innovations in WP2 is the deployment of WIM technology for direct enforcement. This system allows authorities to impose fines on overloaded vehicles without stopping them. Instead of requiring trucks to pull over and be weighed manually, WIM systems use sensors embedded in the road to measure the weights of a vehicle’s axles as it passes over.
WIM technology has existed for some time, but WP2 is developing quality assurance procedures and protocols so that roadside WIM systems can be used for automated (direct) enforcement. Current work is focused on ensuring that WIM can:
- Detect lifted axles – a common problem at present is that trucks lift an axle when driving, but drop it before they are weighed statically.
- Provide quality assurance procedures for WIM weight measurements to ensure that they meet legal requirements.
- Integrate WIM with digital enforcement systems, allowing authorities to act on violations instantly.
Researchers have already tested machine-learning algorithms that analyse truck axle configurations to detect lifted axles. Early results have been promising, with some methods achieving high accuracy. Further refinements are underway to ensure that WIM technology can be used for enforcement across multiple European countries.
Onboard Weighing Systems: Self-Monitoring for Compliance
In addition to roadside WIM systems, SETO’s WP2 is also developing a tamper-proof onboard weighing system for trucks. This system will use accelerometers and advanced algorithms to estimate the gross vehicle weight based on the movement of the truck and the road surface profile.
As the onboard system uses the road profile in the calculation, any tampering with the sensors will become immediately apparent. This technology not only improves compliance but also reduces the need for roadside inspections, making transport operations smoother for both businesses and regulators.
Smart Positioning: Enforcing Vehicle Routes and Restrictions
Another focus of SETO is monitoring vehicle positioning to ensure that trucks follow the correct routes. This is particularly important for cabotage enforcement, which regulates the movement of foreign transport operators within a country.
The project relies on enhanced Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS) to provide more accurate tracking of vehicle locations. Traditional systems can sometimes be unreliable, especially in urban areas with tall buildings or places with poor satellite visibility.
To address these challenges, WP2 is testing Factor Graph Optimization, a new method that improves positioning accuracy by incorporating historical movement data. This approach is proving to be more stable and precise than older methods such as the Extended Kalman Filter, especially in areas where signals are weak.
Building a Secure and Efficient Digital Platform
The SETO project is creating a secure digital platform to bring all these technologies together by collecting, storing, and analysing data from multiple sources. This platform will:
- Integrate data from WIM systems, onboard sensors, and GNSS tracking devices.
- Ensure security and reliability using blockchain technology, preventing data tampering.
- Allow enforcement agencies to access real-time data for faster decision-making.
By digitizing enforcement, SETO aims to reduce paperwork, improve efficiency, and increase fairness in transport regulation. Instead of relying on inconsistent manual checks, authorities will have access to automated, data-driven insights that make enforcement more transparent and effective.
Challenges and Next Steps
Despite the progress made, there are still challenges to overcome. One major hurdle is ensuring that WIM technology meets strict legal accuracy standards so that its data can be used for enforcement.
The next steps in WP2 include:
- Further testing and validation of WIM and onboard weighing systems in real-world conditions.
- Expanding GNSS-based positioning tests to ensure accuracy in different environments.
- Developing a certification process for smart enforcement technologies.
Ultimately, WP2 aims to revolutionize how transport regulations are enforced, making roads safer and ensuring fair competition in the transport industry.
A Smarter Future for Transport Enforcement
The SETO project, through WP2, is bringing transport enforcement into the digital age. By combining advanced sensors, artificial intelligence, and secure digital platforms, authorities will have more effective tools to monitor compliance, improve road safety, and protect infrastructure.
This means greater transparency and fewer unnecessary inspections for businesses, smoother and fairer enforcement for drivers, safer roads, and reduced environmental impact from overloaded vehicles for the general public.
As technology continues to evolve, projects like SETO are paving the way for a smarter, more sustainable transport system. Through collaboration between researchers, policymakers, and industry leaders, we can create enforcement solutions that benefit everyone.
