Belgium’s road toll generates record revenue despite decline in truck numbers

Belgium’s kilometre charge system, which has been in place since 1 April 2016, has reached a significant milestone by generating record revenue of €838.41 million in its latest years of operation. Surprisingly, this remarkable achievement coincides with a decline in the number of trucks on Belgium’s toll roads, according to the latest report from Viapass.

The local news site, gva.be has reviewed the figures and found that despite the decline in the number of trucks, traffic congestion has remained constant, prompting experts to examine the complex dynamics influencing road usage patterns.

According to the Viapass report, more than 800,000 fewer lorries used Belgium’s toll roads last year. This figure is the lowest in five years, excluding the pandemic-affected period of 2020-2021. The declining presence of lorries can be attributed to the struggling economy, as lower consumer demand and production rates have led to a reduction in transport needs.

“The European economy struggled in 2022. Manufacturing was suffering from a lack of raw materials and customers. The transport sector, a reliable indicator of the same economy, was hit hard. While the number of toll kilometres driven on Belgian roads rose steadily from 2016 until the summer, it fell slightly in the autumn. The number of lorries also fell,” the report explains.

While 41.1 million lorries crossed Belgium in the sixth operating year (from 1 April 2021 to 31 March 2022), the figure for the 2022-2023 operating year was 40.28 million. The decrease was mainly in the second half of 2022.

The ratio between the number of Belgian lorries and foreign lorries shows that although there are slightly more Belgian lorries, foreign lorries make up a large part of the traffic. However, this should not be confused with the share of the revenue from the kilometre charge, where non-Belgian vehicles account for more than half (53.26%).

“At first sight, this may seem a little contradictory,” says Johan Schoups, general administrator of Viapass, “but Belgian hauliers generally continue to drive in their own country, while their foreign colleagues drive through Belgium and therefore do not cross the country every day.”

Greening truck transport

HGVs pay per kilometre driven on toll roads in Belgium. The amount depends on three factors: the region in which the road is located, the gross vehicle weight (GVW) and the Euro emission standard of the vehicle.

The kilometre charge is based on three GVM categories (more than 3.5 tonnes to 12 tonnes, more than 12 tonnes to 32 tonnes and more than 32 tonnes) and seven Euro standards (from the most polluting Euro 0 standard to the most environmentally friendly Euro 6 standard). The higher the Euro standard of the truck and the lower its MTM, the cheaper the rate per kilometre driven.

“The principle is that the biggest polluters/users pay the most, and it works,” says Johan Schoups. “Only 3.2% of trucks still do not belong to the two cleanest emission categories, Euro 6 and Euro 5. The size distribution of road freight vehicles also remains stable, as the share of trucks in the highest weight category, with a maximum weight of more than 32 tonnes, continues to account for more than 91 per cent of the revenue from the kilometre charge.”