Skip to main content

MEPs demand truck tolls to curb CO2 emissions

Fourteen MEPs have signed a letter to EU Transport Commissioner Violeta Bulc demanding the European Commission propose legislation to impose new tolls on trucks, according to Euractiv. The Commission's Energy Union plans announced earlier this year dropped truck tolls laid out in earlier versions. There is currently no CO2 standard for trucks in Europe, although car and van CO2 emissions are limited. European Commission data shows trucks contributing one quarter of CO2 emissions from road transport in
November 20, 2015 Read time: 2 mins
Fourteen MEPs have signed a letter to EU Transport Commissioner Violeta Bulc demanding the European Commission propose legislation to impose new tolls on trucks, according to Euractiv.

The Commission's Energy Union plans announced earlier this year dropped truck tolls laid out in earlier versions.

There is currently no CO2 standard for trucks in Europe, although car and van CO2 emissions are limited. European Commission data shows trucks contributing one quarter of CO2 emissions from road transport in the EU, although campaigners estimate the figure to be higher.

The MEPs called for an amendment to the Eurovignette directive to scrap time-based charges and draft legislation that moves towards “full and mandatory internalisation of external costs and that enables the differentiation of tolls based on the energy efficiency of CO2 emissions of trucks.”

The Commission is expected to present new legislation on road transport next year. The MEPs asked Bulc to include new toll legislation for trucks in that proposal.

Related Content

  • Hydrogen: transportation's silver bullet?
    June 22, 2021
    As the quest for carbon-neutrality becomes a key political and economic driver, everyone is on the lookout for new sources of energy - so perhaps hydrogen’s time has come
  • Kapsch looks to the future
    December 16, 2014
    Colin Sowman reports from a two-day meeting where industry leaders, academics and political advisers presented their thoughts on the future of mobility. Most governments do not dare to introduce tolling systems… they are too frightened.” So said Georg Kapsch in his capacity of chief operating officer of Kapsch TrafficCom, during a forward-looking press event at the company’s headquarters in Vienna.
  • Report calls for per-mile road charging scheme in London
    April 30, 2019
    London’s mayor Sadiq Khan has been urged to replace the city’s existing road charge schemes with a single system that charges drivers per mile. Called City Move, the scheme would apply in areas of high demand and poor air quality. Rates would vary by vehicle emissions, local levels of congestion and pollution and availability of public transport alternatives – but would be set before the journey begins. A report by thinktank Centre for London - Green Light: Next Generation of Road User Charging for a Hea
  • Wireless traffic data in real time
    January 31, 2012
    The effect of moving objects on the electromagnetic landscape set up by cellular telephony networks can be detected and interpreted to give real-time traffic data across large geographical areas at low cost. Here, we revisit the Celldar concept. Global economic downturn has pushed public-sector agencies, transport administrations among them, to push even harder for cost efficiencies. Unfortunately, when it comes to transport safety and efficiency the public sector often has to work up to a cost rather than