Skyttel AS

Skyttel AS is a Norwegian joint-stock company (aksjeselskap) headquartered in Bergen. It is owned by the county authorities of Vestland, Rogaland and Agder, and its purpose is activity related to toll-road services, including AutoPASS toll and ferry payment, operational services and system solutions. The company traces its origins to 1953, when Bro- og Tunnelselskapet AS was founded; it began collecting tolls for the Puddefjordsbroen bridge and the Eidsvåg tunnel in 1956. Over the decades it evolved through name changes and mergers, becoming BT Signaal AS in 2012, being acquired by several Norwegian counties in 2017, and finally adopting the name Skyttel AS on 4 July 2018. Today Skyttel operates payment solutions for ferries and road tolls. Its product portfolio includes toll-collection systems, ferry solutions and debt-collection (innfordring) solutions, while its services cover customer call centres, ITS (intelligent transport systems) consulting, IT development and collection services. The company also issues the SkyttelPASS transponder chip, which gives discounts on toll crossings and ferry journeys and can be used for additional agreements such as the AutoPASS for ferry prepayment scheme and the Bastø Fosen agreement. The chip satisfies the requirement for an on-board unit in heavy vehicles in Norway and can also be used by businesses for parking and access control. Skyttel operates the national AutoPASS for ferry solution and the AutoPASS solution on the Moss–Horten ferry connection (for Bastø Fosen). It previously operated several toll projects, including the Atlanterhavstunnelen (toll collection ended 1 July 2020), the Svinesundsforbindelsen (ended 15 March 2021), Ryaforbindelsen and Eksportvegen, the latter two being transferred to regional toll companies. As part of the Norwegian toll reform, the role of transponder issuer was separated from toll companies; Skyttel applied for approval as an AutoPASS issuer under section 21 of the issuer regulations, and SkyttelPASS received approval in 2020. In the same year SkyttelPASS became the first Norwegian chip to receive EETS (European Electronic Toll Service) approval under section 24 of the issuer regulations. The company is a technology-driven enterprise that offers transaction handling, data compilation and analysis of data sets for the transport sector. Its ownership structure reflects the Norwegian regional reform: Sogn og Fjordane and Hordaland were merged into Vestland county, and Aust-Agder and Vest-Agder into Agder county, on 1 January 2020. Skyttel remains a key player in Norway's toll and ferry payment ecosystem, combining a long operational heritage with modern digital transaction services.

Skyttel AS traces its history to 18 December 1953, when Bro- og Tunnelselskapet AS was founded. The company began collecting tolls for the Puddefjordsbroen bridge and the Eidsvåg tunnel in 1956. For decades it operated as a toll-collection company in western Norway. In 2012 the company changed its name to BT Signaal AS. In 2017 BT Signaal AS was acquired by the counties of Sogn og Fjordane, Hordaland, Rogaland, Aust-Agder and Vest-Agder. After the acquisition, the company was merged with Sørvest Bomvegselskap AS, which changed its name to Ferde AS in 2018. The commercial activities remained in BT Signaal, and on 4 July 2018 the company changed its name to Skyttel AS. As part of the Norwegian toll reform, the role of transponder issuer was separated from toll companies to establish independent issuers. This was clarified in Storting White Paper No. 25 (2014–2015). The Regulation on issuer activity for tolls and ferry tickets (the issuer regulation) was adopted on 14 December 2018 and entered into force on 1 January 2019. Companies that operated as issuers before the regulation took effect received a dispensation, meaning they had to divest their issuer activity within 18 months of the entry into force. Skyttel AS applied for approval as an AutoPASS issuer under section 21 of the issuer regulation. The Norwegian Public Roads Administration planned to start test planning in September 2019 with the applicants, aiming for the first AutoPASS issuers to be ready for operational service at the earliest in the first quarter of 2020. SkyttelPASS received approval in 2020 under section 21 of the issuer regulation. In 2020 SkyttelPASS also became the first Norwegian chip to receive EETS approval, under section 24 of the issuer regulation. On 1 January 2020, as a result of the regional reform, Sogn og Fjordane and Hordaland were merged into Vestland county, and Vest-Agder and Aust-Agder into Agder county. The company's board proposed changing its purpose to "activity related to system solutions, operational services and customer services within payment transmission, collection and reporting in the transport sector. In addition, the company may offer additional services from other sectors linked to the company's technological solutions." The company also planned an expansion of share capital, with Rogaland county invited to contribute to maintain equal ownership ratios after the mergers. Skyttel currently operates the national AutoPASS for ferry solution and the AutoPASS solution on the Moss–Horten ferry connection (for Bastø Fosen). It previously operated several toll projects: Atlanterhavstunnelen (for Atlanterhavstunnelen AS, toll collection ended 1 July 2020), Svinesundsforbindelsen (for Svinesundsforbindelsen AS, toll collection ended 15 March 2021), Ryaforbindelsen (transferred to the regional toll company Bompengeselskap Nord) and Eksportvegen (transferred to the regional toll company Vegamot). Today the company offers products and services for transaction handling, data compilation and analysis of data sets.

• 2021

  Toll collection for Svinesundsforbindelsen ended on 15 March.

• 2020

  SkyttelPASS approved as AutoPASS issuer under section 21; became first Norwegian chip with EETS approval under section 24.

• 2020

  Regional reform: Sogn og Fjordane and Hordaland merged into Vestland; Aust-Agder and Vest-Agder into Agder on 1 January.

• 2020

  Toll collection for Atlanterhavstunnelen ended on 1 July.

• 2018

  Merged with Sørvest Bomvegselskap AS (renamed Ferde AS); commercial activities remained in BT Signaal, which changed its name to Skyttel AS on 4 July.

• 2018

  Issuer regulation adopted on 14 December, effective 1 January 2019.

• 2017

  Acquired by the counties of Sogn og Fjordane, Hordaland, Rogaland, Aust-Agder and Vest-Agder.

• 2012

  Company renamed BT Signaal AS.

• 1956

  Started toll collection for Puddefjordsbroen and Eidsvåg tunnel.

• 1953

  Bro- og Tunnelselskapet AS founded on 18 December.

Technology-driven provider of transaction systems and customer services for the Norwegian transport sector, with nearly 70 years of toll-collection experience.

• SkyttelPASS

  Transponder chip giving discounts on toll crossings and ferry journeys; can be used for AutoPASS for ferry prepayment and Bastø Fosen agreement; satisfies heavy vehicle on-board unit requirement; usable for parking and access control for businesses.

• AutoPASS for ferry

  National prepayment agreement for ferry travel offering 50% discount for private customers, 40% for business customers, and 17% on passenger tickets on ferries with passenger payment.

• Toll collection systems

  Systems for collecting road tolls, including operation of toll projects.

• Ferry solutions

  Payment and operational solutions for ferry connections.

• Debt collection solutions

  Innfordringsløsninger for collecting outstanding payments.

• Customer call centre

  Competent customer service centre for handling customer inquiries.

• ITS consulting

  Intelligent transport systems advisory services.

• IT development

  Software and system development for transaction processing.

1. 1Skyttel official websiteskyttel.no
2. 2Skyttel (selskap) - Wikipediano.wikipedia.org
3. 3Skyttel - Wikidatawikidata.org