20 March 2024
Due to the applicable EU Road Tolls Directive, all member states must add the cost of CO2 emissions to the basic toll rate. These regulations should be implemented by March 25, 2024. As we wrote in an earlier article, Germany introduced this fee in December 2023, while Austria and Lithuania introduced it at the beginning of this year. According to the parliament’s work schedule, similar changes in Poland will most likely come into force from October. It is worth noting that road tolls in the country have already increased by 15%.
Experts predict that not only the rates for road networks will increase, but also their length. Moreover, the railway industry demands equalization of fees in road and rail transport. Deputy Minister of Infrastructure for Railways Piotr Malepszak emphasizes that “Freight carriers (…) pay fees for each kilometer traveled on the tracks. Meanwhile, road carriers pay for access to less than 1 percent of the public road network.
Will the transport industry have to raise further rates? Will steps be taken to reduce costs for the railways? We will know the answers to these questions soon, but one thing is certain: people working in logistics must constantly monitor changes in tolls, because each country can voluntarily calculate road premiums.
