Germany has proposed a toll hike for heavy goods vehicles starting December 1, 2023. Under the proposal, a CO2 emissions tax of EUR200 (USD217.68) per tonne will be added.
Hauliers, which are already incurring additional costs and obstacles due to the ongoing permitting crisis in the country, are anticipating a toll-related freight price increase of at least 12 percent, according to data from various industry associations and the Federal Ministry for Digital Affairs and Transport.
German heavy haulage specialist Universal Transport said the tax, which comes less than a year after the last toll increase, de facto amounts to double the current toll rates. It added that according to current plans, the additional income will be put into the expansion of railways, rather than flow into the roads.
Zero-emission vehicles will be exempt from the toll increase but this doesn’t leave heavy hauliers with many options. Holger Dechant, member of the Gruber Logistics board and managing director of Universal Transport, explained: “In general, we support all efforts to promote sustainability in transport and to implement environmentally friendly solutions in our company. However, zero-emission vehicles, which will be exempt from the CO2 component, are just as rare in our business segment as the corresponding nationwide fuelling and charging infrastructure. This leaves us with no choice but to accept the additional fees. This does not promote environmental friendliness on the road.”
He added: “This is no longer financially feasible for transport companies from their own resources. The additional charges have to be passed on to the shippers and to the end consumers eventually.”
