Road tolls are now also valid on all federal roads

The road toll is a good 13 years after its introduction on the highways now also on all major roads in Germany and is expected to bring even more money for transport investments. The operator Toll Collect has released a significantly expanded route network for its billing system during Sunday night. Until now, 7.5-tonne trucks had to pay about 2300 kilometers of federal highway. The Federal Ministry of Transport, Andreas Scheuer (CSU) expects a turnover of 7.2 billion euros per year if, from 1 January 2019, new rates of duty s & # 39; apply. That is 2.5 billion euros more than before. Less money for the operation of the system, the money is reserved for the maintenance and development of roads. As about eight per cent of federal highways are directed to the respective countries, they also receive a corresponding share of revenue. The extension of all the main roads had decided the previous grand coalition. This is also intended to reinforce the principle of the user, as heavyweights weigh heavily on the tracks and bridges.

The intercity network now increases in one go from 15,000 to 52,000 kilometers. It included until now, in addition to well-developed highways, federal sections. Now, the toll network is expanding in the streets of villages and cities. The operator Toll Collect had to adapt the road model for its satellite billing system – instead of the former 9000, there are now 140,000 tariff sections. And short-term changes such as construction sites or blockages must be mapped.

In order to control the toll, the Federal Office of Goods wants to use more control personnel for its mobile tapes. In addition, there are 300 fixed bridges on motorways. On the main roads should be 600 Kontrollsulen. For an automatic control, the photos of pbading vehicles are erased and erased when they are correctly paid. The columns should not be confused with lightning: they are four meters high and are painted blue-green. There are no toll road signs except for cross-border roads.

Toll Collect expects that due to the expansion of the network, 140,000 other Canadian and foreign trucks will have to pay tolls. Up to now, 1.1 million trucks equipped with an on-board computer (OBU) are about to be charged automatically. Manually, he goes to the vending machines and a mobile app. Tolls are excluded from vehicles for street cleaning and winter service, but not for rolling stock and public vehicles for the supply of electricity, gas and water. The Association of Municipal Enterprises also requires a release for them. Shippers protest the added burden and warn against higher consumer prices. But the ministry does not expect that.

The debate on the future of truck tolls is resuming. Oliver Krischer, Vice President of the Verts Group, said: "Only a significant increase in toll rates will put an end to the uncontrolled increase in road traffic and rail freight transport." The Federal Council will treat Friday the new tariffs planned for 2019 Include the costs of noise pollution. The committees also recommend extending the toll to smaller 3.5-tonne vans and long-distance buses. However, both are not provided for in the coalition agreement between the Union and the SPD.

Important decisions must also be made by Transport Minister Scheuer. The contract with Toll Collect ends on August 31st. Then the shares go temporarily to the federal government for six months. Later this year, a new operator will obtain the contract, which will then take the toll as of March 1, 2019.