BGL launches “largest media campaign in a decade” to have Germany’s road toll plans amended

BGL launches “largest media campaign in a decade” to have Germany’s road toll plans amended

trans.info — 2023-08-16

Land transportation

Germany's Federal Association of Road Haulage, Logistics and Waste Disposal (BGL) is embarking on its “largest media campaign in a decade" in order to prevent plans for a huge toll increase being implemented this December.

As we reported earlier in 2023, Hauliers could face up to a 70-80% increase in road toll charges under the proposed “Third Amendment to Road Toll Regulations” project in Germany, which includes an additional CO2 emissions tax of €200 per tonne for heavy goods vehicles starting December 1, 2023.

Under an agreement by the ruling coalition, the Federal Ministry of Transport and Digital Infrastructure (BMDV) intends to add a CO2 emissions tax of €200 per tonne to road tolls for heavy goods vehicles.

This means that, for example, for three-axle heavy goods vehicles weighing over 18 tonnes with 3 axles, depending on the emission class, there will be an additional 6.3 euro cents (Euro 6) to 15.8 euro cents (Euro 1 and 0) per kilometre driven.

It is worth noting that the additional CO2 charge accounts for 43% and 32.5% of the total rate per kilometre in these cases. Its introduction will therefore be associated with an increase of around 70-80%.

The BGL thus warns that the changes will drive a number of German family-run businesses in the logistics sector to bankruptcy.

Rebekka Csizmazia, managing director of Dreissg24, who has been tasked with overseeing the BGL’s campaign, wants to show the German public how truck drivers are so important to society as a whole.

“Many citizens do not even know how many goods must be transported by truck and that these transports are only a reflection of our consumer behavior. It’s about an industry with relevance and radiance,” says Csizmazia.

During a campaign event held at Frankfurt am Main, BGL Board Spokesman Prof. Dr. Dirk Engelhardt said:

“This is the limit! We no longer only have to be active within the industry, but also specifically place the performance of our industry in the public eye. This massive increase in tolls will bring no measurable benefit to the environment because trucks with alternative drives are only available in very small numbers. According to TollCollect, there are currently just 300 in use. And one thing is already certain; not every transport company can cope with the additional burden and the railways will not be able to fill up the supermarket shelves that may remain empty in the future either.”

Engelhardt was also keen to emphasize that Germany’s haulage industry does not wish to block sustainability efforts, but rather work together with other stakeholders to develop socially acceptable and realistic solutions for the future.

The compromise solution proposed by the BGL would see toll rates increased gradually based on the availability of electric trucks on the market, as well as the required charging infrastructure.