Since the new toll system came into force in Denmark, the Danish Road Traffic Authority has issued 17,000 tickets for toll-related violations. Their total value exceeds 76 million Danish kroner (almost 12.2 million euros), according to the ITD carrier organisation. Let us recall that most of the penalties were imposed due to the system’s malfunction and can be appealed.
The Danish organisation, however, is not giving up on the system manager’s inaction towards the problem. ITD has announced that the practice of imposing fines for violating the rules on mileage charges is illegal.
“All fines for violating road toll regulations are subject to a rate of 4,500 Danish kroner, regardless of the circumstances. This is a clear violation of EU law, as EU Directive 1999/62/EC states that all fines must be proportionate to the nature and seriousness of the violation,” the organisation emphasises.
According to the association, under EU law it is not permissible to simply fine everyone the same amount without taking into account the circumstances of the offence in each specific case.
The organisation adds that this also applies to road tolls, as was most recently confirmed by the Court of Justice of the European Union in November 2024.
“In its zeal to impose yet another tax on the transport industry, the Danish state has completely overlooked or ignored the fact that these practices are illegal. I completely agree that systematic toll fraud should be severely punished, and it is important not to make a mockery of compliance. However, the total refusal to take into account systemic and random human errors is simply outrageous,” says Stefan K. Schou, Director of ITD.
Therefore, in order to force the authorities to take the necessary responsibility, ITD has filed a complaint with the European Commission.
“On behalf of its members, ITD demands that the Danish state stops issuing illegal fines and cancels all penalties for driving on public roads that have been issued illegally,” the organisation emphasises.