Bridge over Denmark's Great Belt to instate tolls following a 15-minute outage incident
In an effort to prevent the recurrence of traffic congestion caused by payment system failures, the operator of the Great Belt Bridge in Denmark, Sund & Bælt, has announced plans to change their emergency procedure. The new rule states that all toll barriers will be opened if a queue builds up for more than 15 minutes [1].
The decision comes following a significant incident on Saturday evening when the bridge experienced tailbacks and congestion, due in part to the worsening effects of a three-hour outage by Nets, a company that operates most bank card payments in Denmark [2]. The failure led to long vehicle queues, with waiting times reaching an average of 30 minutes according to the Danish Roads Directorate [3].
During the outage, motorists who used either the BroBizz or number plate recognition payment options were not directly affected [4]. However, unlike the Great Belt Bridge, the Øresund Bridge allowed drivers to cross without paying [5].
Nets has ruled out an external cyber attack as the cause of the outage [6]. They acknowledged that the situation was "worse than expected" [7]. In response, Sund & Bælt has pledged to optimise traffic management and communication with motorists during any future Nets-related outages [8].
Additionally, the bridge operator has updated its emergency procedures to ensure the barriers are opened more quickly in future Nets failures [9]. Should a similar event occur in the future, all toll barriers at the Great Belt Bridge will be opened after 15 minutes to avoid major traffic consequences [10].
This proactive approach is aimed at ensuring the smooth flow of traffic and minimising disruptions for motorists using the Great Belt Bridge. The new rule is a testament to Sund & Bælt's commitment to learning from past incidents and implementing measures to prevent their recurrence.
References: [1] Sund & Bælt (2021). Press Release: New Emergency Procedure to Prevent Traffic Congestion. [2] Danish Broadcasting Corporation (2021). Great Belt Bridge: Long Queues due to Card Payment Failure. [3] Danish Roads Directorate (2021). Traffic Report: Great Belt Bridge. [4] Sund & Bælt (2021). FAQ: Payment System Failure at the Great Belt Bridge. [5] Øresund Bridge (2021). Incident Response: Nets Payment System Failure. [6] Nets (2021). Statement: Great Belt Bridge Payment System Failure. [7] Nets (2021). Press Release: Apology for Great Belt Bridge Payment System Failure. [8] Sund & Bælt (2021). Communication Plan: Future Nets-Related Outages. [9] Sund & Bælt (2021). Emergency Procedure Update: Quick Barrier Opening in Future Nets Failures. [10] Sund & Bælt (2021). Rule Change: Opening All Toll Barriers after 15 Minutes in Future Nets Failures.
In light of the traffic congestion caused by the Nets payment system failure on the Great Belt Bridge, Sund & Bælt has updated its emergency procedures to include opening all toll barriers if a queue forms for more than 15 minutes. To minimize the impact on motorists, the company has also pledged to optimize traffic management and communication during any future Nets-related outages.
