Ramsauer gives the go-ahead for HGV tolls on federal highways

The Federal Minister talking about the new tolling arrangements (Source: Federal Ministry of Transport, Building and Urban Development)

date of issue

2012.02.15

serial number

025/2012

The Federal Ministry of Transport, Building and Urban Development and the toll system operator, Toll Collect, have reached agreement on introducing tolls on four-lane federal highways.

The network of roads on which heavy goods vehicles are subject to tolls will be extended to cover around 1,000 kilometres of federal highways that are of near motorway standard and are linked to a federal motorway. This means that further use will be made of the technological capabilities of the satellite-based HGV tolling system. The toll rate will be the same as on federal motorways, that are 17 cents per km on average. This is expected to generate additional revenue totalling an estimated 100 million euros.

Ramsauer:

"This gives us the go-ahead. The aim is to introduce HGV tolling on around 1,000 kilometres of four-lane federal highways of near motorway standard, starting on 1 August 2012. The additional funds will be ring-fenced and used for the upgrading and structural maintenance of the road infrastructure. In doing so, we will strengthen the new "funding cycle for the roads", which was created last year, and we will derive obvious benefit in the form of higher investment in the road network."

The talks with the members of the consortium – Deutsche Telekom, Daimler and Cofiroute – proved to be difficult, especially with regard to liability issues. On the basis of the lessons learned from the introduction of the tolling scheme, the negotiations focused on thoroughness rather than speed.
The agreement implements the Federal Trunk Road Toll Act, which was passed by the German Bundestag and approved by the Bundesrat last year. It also follows a recommendation by Germany’s Supreme Audit Institution, the Bundesrechnungshof.