“The mega toll for trucks and buses means a homemade disadvantage of the location for the domestic industry. It will particularly harm rural regions. The transport costs are estimated to rise by up to 16.8 per cent. This increases the price of the location and is putting jobs at risk“, Dr. Christoph Leitl, president of the Austrian Economic Chamber(WKO) said alarmingly on a press conference in Vienna, meaning also a strict “No” of all presidents of the WKO regarding the plans to introduce a nationwide toll for trucks and buses, “to make sure Austria’s industry will not be left behind“.
The federal governments of Austria are considering a nation-wide toll for HGVs of more than 3.5 tonnes gross vehicle weight on all roads. In addition to the high-ranking network of motorways and highways, also for the use of the low-ranking road network a toll will have to be paid.
Transportations would become more expensive with such a toll, resulting in increased prices for consumers eventually. According to a study of the Vienna University of Economics and Business, this amount would be up to EUR 77 per capita/year.
The main victims of the “mega toll” would be regional transports.
Against this background Mag. Alexander Klacska, Chairman of the transport division of the Austrian Chamber of Commerce, expects a shift of volume and textile transports to vehicles of less than 3.5 tonnes gross vehicle weight as a result of introducing the “mega toll”. Already today, HGVs and buses are paying EUR 1.2 billion in toll annually on Austria’s motorways and highways.
