German Transport Secretary backpedals on highway toll

On 1 January 2005, the so-called 'LKW-Maut' (heavy duty vehicle toll) was introduced in Germany for heavy trucks making use of federal highways. The tariff due depends on the distance driven, the number of axles and the vehicle's emission category.

In an interview with the Passauer Neue Presse, Transport Secretary Peter Ramsauer (CSU) suggested introduction of a passenger car toll: "Roads should for a larger extent be paid for by its users. The LKW-Maut was just the beginning" and "all further options should be put on the table". This reports German newspaper Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung.

The article mentions that German automobile club ADAC was quick to declare a passenger car toll (Auto-Maut) an unreasonable measure because instead of shifting taxes from ownership to usage, it will simply lead to an additional financial burden to car drivers. Besides that, there is a risk that car drivers will deviate from the Autobahn and use already overstrained secondary roads instead.

Yesterday morning, Mr Ramsauer declared that the newly formed federal government does not mention the Auto-Maut in the coalition agreement and therefore it is not on the agenda.

Our take: to be continued rather sooner than later.

Sources

• Ramsauer will PKW-Maut prüfen (FAZ Finance)
• Vorstöße für eine Personenwagen-Maut auf der Autobahn. In: printed edition of the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, 6 November 2009, nr. 258, page 15