During a public hearing at the European Parliament’s transport committee on Thursday 23 November, several organisations representing civil society expressed different points of view about the European Commission proposal presented as part of the first “mobility” package on 31 May last on the question of motorway tolls (see EUROPE 11799).
It should be recalled that the European Commission is suggesting the gradual introduction of a ban on implementing or maintaining the vignette system. This would make it obligatory for member states, if they decide to do so, to make road users pay for the use of roads by way of a toll system. Prices would be linked to the distance travelled and not journey duration. The prices are also expected to take into account CO2 emissions from vehicles, and countries could modulate them in an effort to compensate for the external costs borne by society, such as noise, congestion and air pollution.
Although an end to authorising the vignette system is being encouraged by environmental defence organisations, such as William Todts, the executive director of Transport&Environnement, it is not being sought by all the different actors. Laurianne Krid, the director-general of the International Automobile Association, considers that road tariffs should remain a national competency and in this sense, it is contrary to the principles of subsidiarity and proportionality. This approach is also supported by Remi Lebeda from the International Road Union.
One of the major points of divergences between the different speakers related to the possibility of taxing vehicles in order to compensate the external costs they are responsible for. Libor Lochman, executive director of the Community of European Railway and Infrastructure Companies (CER), considers in this connection that road freight transport is only paying for 30% of the external costs and infrastructure it is responsible for and that rail transport, on the other hand, pays all of these costs and that this cover is therefore necessary. In this perspective, the T&E is proposing to include costs produced by accidents as part of the external costs. Mr Lebeda considers that buses and coaches are responsible for transport users leaving their cars at home and is therefore a means of transport promoting clean mobility and should be excluded from having to cover external costs.
The different parties, however, agree on the fact that interoperability of the electronic-toll systems is a necessity for all road actors and users. Gabriele Benedetto, CEO of Telepass S.p.A., an Italian operator and Kallistratos Dionelis, European Association of Operators of Toll Road Infrastructures, argued in favour of this approach by way of developing a European electronic toll service (EETS).
The latter is also suggesting the introduction of a single European information platform that will provide information for the authorities and users about tariffs applicable in each country. (Original version in French by Lucas Tripoteau)