Next rip-off: new car and truck tolls

Billions that will be missing for the expansion and maintenance of the infrastructure in Germany. On the expenditure side, or rather the non-revenue side, there are also the tax breaks for electric cars. For the first ten years, e-cars are exempt from vehicle tax, after which they only pay half. On the revenue side, there would be an increase in electricity tax, which, however, is far from being able to compensate for the tax losses. So what to do in the face of increasingly dilapidated bridges, roads and tunnels on the one hand and less and less revenue on the other?

One could, for example, introduce a new tax, which has now been proposed by scientists: The car toll, which every motorised driver would have to pay and which would be paid per kilometre. The research institutes Agora and Infras have calculated how high this tax would have to be and come up with 5.4 cents. This could raise about 33 billion in 2030. The amount is made up of the official road costs (2.6 cents per kilometre), which are the costs that a car causes per kilometre. To this must be added the costs calculated by the federal government for the consequences of air pollution, noise and the preservation of nature. The amount covers not only the costs for the necessary car infrastructure, but also for public transport and pedestrian and bicycle infrastructure.

The expansion of the system necessary to also register the kilometres travelled would cost 2.5 billion euros on a one-off basis. On top of that, there are running costs of 700 million annually. The concept that the two institutes have developed envisages a billing system that uses a mobile phone app and GPS. In addition, there are gradations in the price: small cars that weigh less and therefore put less strain on the roads should pay less than large cars, dirty cars more than low-polluting ones. Those who drive at peak times will also pay more. A congestion charge like the one already levied in London is also being considered. This charge is intended to discourage people from driving into the city centre at rush hour and thus causing traffic jams. The general rule is that those who drive more should also pay more.

While the car toll has only been considered so far, the truck toll has already been decided. The EU has decided that in future trucks will have to pay for the amount of CO2 they emit. Until now, a toll was levied in Germany for trucks over 7.5 t for a certain period of time, but now HGVs and trucks are to pay for the kilometres they travel. In Germany, trucks have been paying for the use of motorways since 2005. After deduction of the costs incurred for collection and control, 100 per cent of the revenue flows into the maintenance and expansion of the trunk roads. Last year, the revenue amounted to almost 7.6 billion euros. Brussels has decided that, in general, the amount of CO2 emitted must be paid for. The directive must be transposed into national law within two years.

The future HGV toll is graduated: Heavy vehicles that pollute more will pay more toll. Electric vehicles, which are completely exempt from the truck toll, will be favoured. The toll is monitored and paid automatically; those who do not pay will be fined. There are exceptions for craft businesses.

However, each country can decide for itself whether to collect a toll. However, the country is obliged to do so in accordance with current EU law so that there are no different systems within the EU. Member countries can also choose not to charge for the use of roads. The aim is to prevent unilateral action, as was the case in Germany during the last legislative period. At that time, Transport Minister Scheuer tried to introduce a national toll system that failed due to EU laws because it treated foreigners worse than Germans.

The federal government can make good use of the money from car and truck tolls. According to a calculation by the German Association of Towns and Municipalities, 33.6 billion euros would have to be invested immediately in infrastructure to maintain bridges, roads and tunnels. Transport experts even suggest putting all new construction on hold because there is no money for it at the moment.

Apart from the revenue, of course, a toll has obvious advantages for the environment. A toll will inevitably lead to more people abandoning their cars. Moreover, the incentive to switch to a clean car or truck would be much greater. Both contribute to improving the air everywhere where cars drive and not only where there are already environmental zones into which dirty vehicles are not allowed to enter at all.