EU´s sights on the Slovene road toll system

Slovenia’s new government, which has been in office since the middle of November, plans to revise the complete road toll system of the country. The main reason for this is the conflict with Brussels over the passenger car vignettes valid for six months and a year, which EU-authorities consider an important financial burden for transit passengers.

At the moment lorry-drivers have two possibilities to pay road toll in Slovenia: they either pay at the toll gates or do so by using electronic toll boxes. By August 2009 this system shall be replaced by an electronic distance-based satellite toll system. From the end of 2010 on all other vehicles will be subject to the satellite system, too. The toll box (”ABC-box”) can be used by all lorries with more than three axles whose permitted gross weight exceeds 3,5tons. The box is available at the toll gates for € 53.
EU-authorities consider the present system discriminating against foreigners, as Slovenia has only introduced a vignette valid for six months. Brussels accuses Slovenia of overcharging transit passengers. Therefore the introduction of short-term period vignettes has been demanded. As Ljubljana has not met this request so far, the country must, for the time being, do without EU-loans worth € 88 million for the extension of their motorways.

As reported in the media, worries have corroborated that the revenues from selling vignettes will be insufficient for financing motorways in the future. The Slovene motorway operator DARS is expected to be able to cover this year’s credit repayment, but revenues might not be sufficient for 2009. On introducing short-term vignettes the prices for half-year and one-year vignettes will also have to increase in order to avoid a larger deficit. According to calculations by DARS the prices must more than double: the one-year vignette will then cost between
€ 110 and € 130 (now € 55) and he half-year vignette will increase from € 35 to € 70 to € 90.

Zitat:
"Slovenia does not treat foreigners differently."
Slovenia’s Ministry of Transport on the EU-accusation