The German Federal Association of Economy, Transport, and Logistics (BWVL) has penned an open letter to Federal Transport Minister Volker Wissing, urging the implementation of a transitional period for sanctioning truck toll violations.
Effective December 1, 2023, changes to the truck toll system will alter the criteria for assigning weight classes. Consequently, several thousand vehicles will either become subject to tolls for the first time or will necessitate a reclassification into a different weight class.
The BWVL expresses concern that many companies, only recently informed of the changed assignment of their vehicles’ weight class to a new technically permissible total mass, will face challenges installing a corresponding on-board unit within a limited timeframe.
The association points out the unfavorable pre-Christmas period, leading to significant scheduling bottlenecks in specialized workshops.
Despite the option for manual entry into the toll system, the BWVL views this as a substantial additional time and administrative burden for the affected companies.
Proposing an 8-week transition period, the association has appealed to Federal Transport Minister Volker Wissing in the interest of numerous small and medium-sized businesses.
They request that toll violations for vehicles newly subject to tolls, due to the application of the tzGm, be handled with the principle of opportunity during checks by the Federal Office for Logistics and Mobility (BALM) until January 31, 2024. The BWVL further urges that any unpaid toll during this period not be pursued in subsequent collection processes.
