Federal Environment Agency For Car Tolls

2023 Author: Eric Donovan | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-08-25 09:36

The Federal Environment Agency is in favor of a route-based car toll. The driver could face an additional burden of up to four euros per 100 kilometers.

The Federal Environment Agency (UBA) is in favor of introducing a car toll. Compared to WDR 2, Jochen Flasbarth, the head of the authorities, demands a nationwide road usage fee based on the distance traveled. He is referring to an as yet unpublished study from his house. Accordingly, a toll can control car traffic and relieve the environment. Drivers would have to pay up to four euros per 100 kilometers.

Elimination of the vehicle tax

In return, the road tax could be canceled. The route-related toll is the fairest solution because the costs are paid where they arise. The income could finance the maintenance and construction of roads. According to the UBA, traffic currently costs the state 47 billion euros more than it brings in through petrol and vehicle taxes and parking fees. In addition, the toll should have an ecological control effect. For example, the rates for clean and quiet cars could be lowered, said UBA boss Flasbarth. However, they could increase for the use of heavily polluted or protected regions. The authority proposes a satellite system for toll collection. With a toll solution only for motorways based on the example of the truck fee, the UBA fears evasive maneuvers on federal and country roads.

Car toll regulations on German roads are always a topic of discussion. Federal Transport Minister Peter Ramsauer had spoken out in favor of a road user fee, but later rowed back. The federal government is currently examining ways of using users to finance transport. The introduction of a satellite-based car toll recently failed in the Netherlands. Above all, critics feared data protection problems due to the seamless monitoring.

As expected, the car toll is rejected by the automobile clubs. The Automobile Club of Germany (AvD) does not consider a toll to be fair, as motorists have so far paid a multiple of what the state would actually return to road traffic through mineral oil and vehicle tax. For the AVD, the UBA proposal is reminiscent of the toll model envisaged in the Netherlands. In the Netherlands it was criticized for concerns about data protection law and ultimately failed. (mid / AG)