The Department for Transport has named seven companies to run 2009 demos of time-distance-place (TDP) based road pricing.

But it denies reports that trial locations have been chosen. ‘Companies have yet to decide, and areas will be quite small,’ a spokeswoman said.

Four companies will recruit volunteers to test on-board equipment: T-Systems; traffic data provider Trafficmaster; French motorway operator SANEF; and the new UK office of Canada’s Intelligent Mechatronic Systems (IMS). IMS has developed pay-as-you-drive (PAYD) equipment for usage-related motor insurance, while Trafficmaster supplied OBUs for Norwich Union’s PAYD trial.

Three further companies – Norwegian tolling equipment supplier Q-Free, the UK office of Austrian competitor Kapsch TrafficCom, and Serco Integrated Transport – will design complete systems.