As 2024 approaches, most countries are starting to consider new road tax systems. Road taxes and vignette prices will be increased in many European countries from the beginning of next year. New CO2 taxes will be introduced in several countries. Germany is expected to experience the biggest changes - taxes will rise the most here compared to other countries.

Spain

Drivers do not have to pay road tolls on most of Spain's motorways. All of Spain's highways combined make up 17,000km of which only 30% are subject to tolls. However, this is due to improve even more as after long discussions with the European Commission, the Spanish Government announced that it will ban all road tolls starting from 2024.

Austria

Truck drivers in Austria pay for their road tolls via an electronic system according to which the value of the tax is dependent on mileage. Starting from 2024, the toll levied on trucks will depend not only on the noise and air pollution caused by the vehicle but also on the amount of CO2 gas that it emits. To find out the amount of CO2 gas emitted by your vehicle you can use this online calculator.

Czech Republic

Starting from March 2024, road tolls will be increasing in the Czech Republic. The toll value should increase by 10-15%. The price of an annual vignette is also going to increase from 1,500 CZK (~63 EUR) to 2,300 CZK (97 EUR).

The Netherlands

Starting from 2024, the Dutch government is planning to implement new road tolls that will apply to all heavy vehicles that weigh more than 3,5t. These tolls will apply on all motorways in the Netherlands as well as some of the regional and local roads. The level of the toll applied will depend on the vehicle’s EURO category – the less harmful the truck is to the environment, the smaller the tax the driver will have to pay. Precise tariffs of the tolls are not clear yet.

New road tolls will also be implemented on the Blankenburg motorway which connects the A15 and A20 roads and on the ViA15 motorway which connects A12 and A15 roads. The tariff applied to trucks should be 7,94 EUR and the toll itself should last only until 2023.

France

Starting from September 2024, the French government will be implementing new road tolls in the A1 motorway which spans across the Northern part of the country. The money received from the new tax will be invested in the construction of the Seine-Nord Europa canal.

Germany

The German government is planning to increase the CO2 toll for trucks. This road toll will come into force starting from December 2023. The value of the tax will depend on the truck’s weight, its number of axles, and its EURO category. The price of one kilometer is expected to increase by 7,9%. More information about this change can be found here. This road toll should heavily impact the drivers and haulers. It is estimated that the new road tolls implemented in the next year might increase the costs for haulers by 70-80%.

Starting from January 1st, 2024, vehicles powered by natural gas will have to start paying road tolls as well. The road tolls levied on them should be similar to those applied to diesel-powered vehicles. From July 1st, additional taxes will be implemented on all vehicles that weigh more than 3,5t and use federal highways.

Hungary

The price of vignettes will increase greatly next year.
Vignettes for trucks that weigh less than 3,5t will cost the following:
•    10-day vignette – 9,310 HUF (~25 EUR).
•    Monthly vignette – 14,670 HUF (~39 EUR).
•    Annual vignette – 81,280 HUF (~ 215 EUR).
Vignettes are not used for trucks that weigh more than 3,5t – drivers of these vehicles pay for their road tolls via an electronic system.

Rising road toll prices will have a strong impact on the transport sector and the economy. Higher road tolls contribute to the rising costs of haulers, which hampers the operations of these companies. Due to increased costs, companies often have to raise the prices of their services - this often leads to the loss of customers and makes it difficult to find new clients. In extreme cases, hauler companies may have to cut back on staff or decrease wages to cover the new costs. On the other hand, higher costs can help drivers do their work more efficiently, since as prices rise, most drivers choose to use alternative, non-tolled roads. Therefore, it enables truck drivers to do their work faster and more efficiently, avoiding traffic jams.

However, the impact of these taxes is extremely two-fold. Higher tax levies allow countries to invest in needed projects such as road infrastructure. In most European countries, the construction of canals and bridges, expansion of highways, road repairs, and similar projects are financed by road taxes. The new charges could also help protect the environment, as most of these charges depend on the CO2 emissions of vehicles.
 

Keywords: work for drivers, work for long-haul drivers, road tolls