Spotlight on possible changes to the European eco-tax

Following the suspension of the eco-tax on heavy vehicles in October 2013, a number of possible changes are being studied which could lead to its eventual implementation. The tax is expected to generate some US$1.63 billion per year, which would be used to finance the construction of railways and canals in order to reduce haulage activity on the road. Possible changes include re-naming the tax, increasing the current 3.5 tonnes minimum vehicle weight, increasing the number of regions which benefit from a
January 31, 2014 Read time: 1 min
Following the suspension of the eco-tax on heavy vehicles in October 2013, a number of possible changes are being studied which could lead to its eventual implementation. The tax is expected to generate some US$1.63 billion per year, which would be used to finance the construction of railways and canals in order to reduce haulage activity on the road.

Possible changes include re-naming the tax, increasing the current 3.5 tonnes minimum vehicle weight, increasing the number of regions which benefit from a reduction in the eco-tax, or limiting the tax to journeys of a particular length, with those under 50 kilometres or 100 kilometres excluded.

Related Content

  • Funding shortfall for US Interstate upgrades
    May 11, 2012
    Andrew Bardin Williams investigates tolling on the federal Interstate system as maintenance and upgrade requirements increasingly outpace funding The I-95 corridor through North Carolina is one of the most heavy trafficked interstates in the US, seeing upwards of 46,000 vehicles per day in some stretches-and North Carolina’s Department of Transportation (NCDOT) estimates this number will to rise to 98,000 vehicles per day by 2040. Along with the rest of the federal interstate system, the North Carolina str
    Read More
  • Gothenburg’s year of congestion charging
    April 9, 2014
    A year after it went live, Colin Sowman examines the technology used for Gothenburg’s congestion charging system and the effect the scheme has had on commuters. When it comes to long-term planning, the Scandinavians take some beating.The West Swedish Agreement is a case in point. Introduced in 2009, the Agreement runs through to around 2027 and aims to create an attractive, sustainable and growing region, and over that timescale the number of journeys is expected to increase by a third. Therefore the Agreem
    Read More
  • Electronic toll collection delivers efficient traffic regulation
    February 3, 2012
    Electronic tolling systems have been in use for decades now. Worldwide, steadily more and more tolling systems are being set into operation, providing efficient means for traffic regulation and financing of infrastructure. But despite this maturity enforcement is still not being given the consideration it deserves. Q-Free's Steinar Furan writes
    Read More
  • Frequency changes threaten vehicle safety applications
    January 24, 2012
    The use of frequency spectrum at 5.9GHz for vehicle safety applications is at risk because of two draft bills currently before Congress. Here, we look at why and what’s being done to address the issue. In the US, the right of cooperative infrastructure to use frequency at 5.9GHz is under threat as a result of the proposal of two bills in Congress. The chronology of spectrum allocation for Dedicated Short- Range Communications (DSRC)-based Vehicle-to-Infrastructure (V2I) and Vehicle-to-Vehicle (V2V) safety a
    Read More

Highlighted Content