Brussels, 16/05/2013 (Agence Europe) - A raft of measures on roads that aims to focus on road pricing for private vehicles in Europe is likely to be presented in July by the European commissioner for transport, Siim Kallas. This will involve a legislative proposal defining a framework for tollbooths and vignettes in member states. Private vehicles such as passenger cars, motorbikes and light utility vehicles will be affected because pricing for heavy goods vehicles has already been regulated by the Eurovignette directive. This will not involve any blanket obligation to introduce road infrastructure charges in member states but rather guidelines for those that are examining this option so that they can move towards this objective in coordinated way throughout Europe. It will not be imposing a new model of tollbooths or vignettes to those already in use in Europe either. Emphasis will be on non-discrimination, respect for the environment and measures to tackle congestion.
In May 2012, the Commission published a communication on road charges in an effort to provide guidelines regarding the use of vignettes (used in seven European countries, EUROPE 10640). In this, it clearly indicated a preference for pricing systems based on distance and not on time. (MD/trans.fl)