Germany to Impose Tolls on the Autobahn

[alonsof1fan91]

The price is beside the point. The problem is that the law has been tailored to specifically a financial burden on foreign registered cars and thereby EU citizens of other EU nations transitting through Germany. This conflicts with EU legislation, which is very clear in prohibiting discrimination based on nationality. It's the same legislation that prevents us from having one set of rules for our native citizens and another for foreign EU citizens when paying out welfare and child benefits.

The tax revenue this will generate will probably be miniscule, as the German car owners can deduct the price of the vignette from their vehicle tax, and the administrative costs of implementing the system will be so high, they'll likely eat away the nondeductible tax revenue from foreign motorists. Not to mention the fact that we already pay for the wear and tear we cause on the Autobahn via Germany's steep fuel taxes.

It's a pointless law if you ask me.

I highly doubt that every of those gazillion foreign trucks using our autobahn buys their fuel in germany.

 

[Joel]

It is not an additional cost to German drivers that is what Austria is saying. By law, here in the US, a state can't impose a toll on the complete interstate system. I mean there are examples of areas where some states tolled only one or two lanes of the interstate, but as a general rule, the costs of maintaining the infrastructure are supposed to only come from two sources, the fuel tax and vehicle registration fees.

Well yeah, because the Interstate highways are federal and individual states receive federal money to maintain/construct them. Germany doesn't receive money from the EU to maintain their own highways.

California can't charge people from Arizona to use their interstate highways because they've already received money from every other state through the federal government. Germany doesn't receive money from Austria to maintain their own highways.

 

[BKGlover]

And I would be willing to bet that ^this^ is the primary argument the Government of Germany will use against the opposition.

 

[Minty]

Just going from one end of the Pennsylvania Turnpike and back costs almost the same as a year pass in Germany, where the roads are much less awful(no really, I've given thought to avoiding the state entirely on trips north because they're so terribad).

This is for a one way trip:

This serves as a good example, because I didn't have the time to calculate out my exact total in tolls during a drive to NY, but if memory serves the toll receipts totalled more than $50, sticking to the main highways(This including all states, where I was able to avoid some-but-not-all tolls, and states with no tolls).

Granted, after that trip I ended up planning alternate routes, some of which took me down a path less traveled(as in a path that was totally unpaved, very narrow, and surrounded on all sides by rotting trees and swamp, which I only made it through because I was driving an SUV at the time). And that was just heading north, the way south was worse in many ways. But my point is I had to avoid entire major highway networks because I didn't want to spend enough money for a whole tank of gas just to avoid burning a quarter tank with detours.

If I could have spent $27 and been done with it, I would in a heartbeat.

 

[White & Nerdy]

That's incredibly cheap and I see no foul here. A 10 day pass costs about as much as a decent lunch.

 

[alonsof1fan91]

Dont say that too loud or greedy politicians will raise the fee.

 

[Swagger897]

I wonder what the breakdown for international flight costs would be, because there is a tourist fee airlines must pay to the arrival country. I assume it is more than $13, not to mention one way.

 

[Grayfox]

I would gladly pay 10euros to drive on one of the best roads in the world.

 

[Bram Turismo]

I would gladly pay 10euros to drive on one of the best roads in the world.

Wut?

If you want good roads, you go to Denmark. Germany is littered with roadworks. The highways in Denmark are superior to those in Germany. One magnificent piece of autobahn is the A7 from Hamburg to Flensburg. Little traffic, and no speed limit. The A1 is magnificent because it is so wide and fast, sadly it is littered with roadworks.

Still, could be worse. Like...Belgian highways... "Hey, what's asphalt? Let's just stick to concrete slabs!"

 

[Legro]

If you want good roads, you go to Denmark. Germany is littered with roadworks. The highways in Denmark are superior to those in Germany.

I've seen both and from those experiences the German highways were better than ones in Denmark by miles.

 

[Pupik]

The way Austria sees it, @daan, because German drivers gets a break on their registration fees...

Austria requires the use of a vignette, which basically means you pay a fee for the right to drive your car in that nation.

So it's the Austria kettle calling the Germany pot black.

It is everyone else who gets left holding the bag for German roads because they have to pay the additional costs of the toll to Germany.

It's no different for electronic tolling in America, if you rent a car. Rent a car for a week? Used electronic tolling once? Enjoy that $15.00 usage fee for a toll.

 

[Roger the Horse]

Still, could be worse. Like...Belgian highways... "Hey, what's asphalt? Let's just stick to concrete slabs!"

Could be worse. In the UK there are 3-types of road surface. Namely, potholes, gravel used to fill in potholes, and lichen. (Although in every other regard most UK motorways are ahead of their European equivalents. Usually at least 3-lanes, most of the junctions make sense, and the quality of driving from other motorists is generally fairly high.)

 

[Legro]

Could be worse. In the UK there are 3-types of road surface. Namely, potholes, gravel used to fill in potholes, and lichen. (Although in every other regard most UK motorways are ahead of their European equivalents. Usually at least 3-lanes, most of the junctions make sense, and the quality of driving from other motorists is generally fairly high.)

Could be even worse. In Finland there are only two lane motorways and there is always someone overtaking lorry at 90 km/h and causing massive jam, which is odd considering amount of cars here. Well only if you're lucky enough to find a motorway.

 

[alonsof1fan91]

Wut?

If you want good roads, you go to Denmark. Germany is littered with roadworks. The highways in Denmark are superior to those in Germany. One magnificent piece of autobahn is the A7 from Hamburg to Flensburg. Little traffic, and no speed limit. The A1 is magnificent because it is so wide and fast, sadly it is littered with roadworks.

Still, could be worse. Like...Belgian highways... "Hey, what's asphalt? Let's just stick to concrete slabs!"

Well, we have too many trucks. Yet we can go 250km'h without paying a ticket.

 

[shmogt]

Boo they should just keep it the way it is.

 

[Crash]

Yet we can go 250km'h without paying a ticket.

That's still one of my more surreal driving experiences the first time around experiencing it. Unrestricted section, a marked police car was puttering along at maybe ~130 kph in either right or middle lane, and me at 200 kph, my first instinct after seeing him was to brake, slow down and move over. Took seeing a couple of people passing him for me to get back up to 200 kph and blow right by the cop after merging back into the left most lane, and nothing happened.

 

[Monatsende]

The CSU party (Autobahn poll was and is their "baby" during the last election, CSU is the sister party of CDU and exists in Bavaria only) wanted to make a name for solving a problem Germany has with investments for infrastructure (Autobahn, bridges etc.) But the CSU concept is a bunch of BS. Now they are talking about exceptions for border areas such as Holland, Austria, Switzerland etc.

Germany: Do it as complicated as possible and - if possible - use engineering!

At the end they will build up a massive bureaucracy with low return of money. If they would use the huge mineral oil taxes (since 2006 relabeled as energy taxes) to maintain infrastructure (as it`s intended to be used for, at least it was...) instead of using it for the general national budget, Germany probably would have streets made of gold. Income since 2002: around 40 billions per annum (source: http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steueraufkommen_(Deutschland))

Another point why I`m losing my interests in politics. More and more I don´t care about what "they" are doing. I know I shouldn`t...

 

[Ibonibo]

Germany: Do it as complicated as possible and - if possible - use engineering!

Buwwahahahahahahahahaha

That made me seriously laugh, and I love germany (parts of it). So true though.

The toll comes from the same people that blame immigrants in stealing their social services. Number are less than 10000 cases. On a population of 80mil.
CSU is so stupid. I might see it differently if I lived in Bavaria, but it's the Bundesland that always, but always had to get their special Wurst 8it's also one of the strongest eco., so... ).

The only toll I find acceptable in the whole EU is Switzerland. Pay once a year and all good. France you per distance, as in Italy. Austria isn't cheap either.... but they have their visitor badges for 10€ for a few days.

I don't think it will come sooon. AS soon as it is installed, someone will file in injection in a court. It gets paused.... ....

In the end, as so many countires talk about road tolls, we will get one road toll for the EU.... in years... down the river....

 

[Roger the Horse]

The only toll I find acceptable in the whole EU is Switzerland.

?

 

[Monatsende]

Most likely meant: "... is the Swiss concept of a "Vignette" - pay once a year and buy a window sticker."

It`s quite expensive if you visit Switzerland for only one trip (in and out of Switzerland).