The rise of fuel-efficient vehicles is having a positive impact on the environment and people’s pocketbooks, long-term. But one challenge it presents is highways are largely funded by federal and state gas taxes. The good news is technology can help.
Consider the example of the state of Oklahoma, which has announced a six-month, pay-per-mile pilot program called Fair Miles Oklahoma using technology from Emovis. The state legislature mandated the study in 2021 as direction for potential future policy changes.
Launching in July, drivers who volunteer to be part of the pilot through the Fair Miles Oklahoma website will have several MRO (mileage reporting options), including an OBD-II (on-board device) and telematics (if provided by the vehicle manufacturer). The pilot will involve project management, implementation, participant onboarding, mileage collection, account management, reporting, and data analysis.
Here is how this can help:
- Offset the decline in revenue.
- Ensure all vehicle owners contribute fairly to tax revenue.
- Rebuild infrastructure of the future for all citizens.
When the pilot program is completed, the ODOT (Oklahoma Dept. of Transportation) will create a report for state lawmakers, which will describe the results and lessons learned for future policy decisions. Oklahoma is not the first state to do this—and likely won’t be the last. Four other states that have previously rolled out the Emovis pay-per-mile solution include Oregon, Utah, Virginia, and Washington.