Road tolls: MEPs call for an effective strategy

MEPs have endorsed a Report by EPP Group MEP Jim Higgins calling for the establishment of an effective European road tolls strategy.

“The current European Electronic Tolling System (EETS) project has been a failure. We need to implement an effective EU-wide road tolls strategy to allow citizens and SMEs to use Europe's roads, without being subject to discrimination, as has sometimes been the case in the past”, Higgins said.

The European Parliament’s Transport and Tourism Committee this week voted in favour of the Report, authored by Mr Higgins, entitled a strategy for an electronic toll service and a vignette system on light private vehicles in Europe.

“There are several issues to be addressed in relation to road tolls including the cost to the consumer, payment methods available, the ease and security of those payments and the impact the current system is having on the SME and transport sector”, Mr Higgins continued.

“The technology required to implement a workable tolling solution exists but has not been rolled out in an effective or cross-European basis, which undermines current attempts to establish the EETS.”

There is little industry interest in moving towards a fully functioning EETS, according to Mr Higgins, therefore a Regulation is needed to force stakeholders to come together and create an efficient road charging experience for the end user, particularly in the context of more widespread use of road charging in the future.

“I am strongly urging the European Commission to undertake a comprehensive review of the current system and evaluate the fairness of current tolling payment models available. The Single Market prioritises the principle of free movement so we cannot allow inconsistent tolling systems to hamper improvements to our transport network”, Mr Higgins concluded.

The Report will come before the European Parliament plenary session for approval in the coming months.