The amendment to Danish law, passed by the Parliament (Folketinget) last week, raises fines for infringements related to the toll system from DKK 4,500 to DKK 9,000 (approximately €603 to €1,206). The changes will take effect on 1 July 2025. It should be noted that one fine may be issued per vehicle per day.
The decision has sparked strong opposition from the Danish transport organisation ITD (Danish Chamber of Transporters). ITD has repeatedly stated that the toll system generates widespread errors, leading to unjustified fines for both domestic and foreign carriers.
“We have warned against doubling the fines from day one. While it is possible and necessary to penalise deliberate fraud, imposing draconian penalties when the system itself is not functioning properly is unacceptable,” said John Agervig Skovrup, CEO of ITD.
ITD informs Brussels
In March this year, ITD submitted an official complaint to the European Commission, accusing the Danish government of breaching EU law. According to Directive 1999/62/EC, fines must be proportionate to the nature of the infringement. However, Denmark imposes a flat-rate fine of DKK 4,500, irrespective of whether the violation results from deliberate fraud or a technical error.
One particularly concerning case, according to ITD, involved the checkpoint in Elidshøj (North Jutland), which issued 647 fines between 4 February and 11 March to vehicles that were, according to records, located elsewhere at the declared time.
“This is a serious system failure that undermines carriers’ trust in the entire control mechanism,” Skovrup emphasised.
According to the system operator Sund & Bælt, fines issued during that period will be cancelled. However, ITD warns that similar errors could occur at other checkpoints.
Appeals not always successful
ITD’s main concern is that the burden of proof lies with the carriers. They must independently identify erroneous fines, gather documentation, and submit appeals. In practice, even strong evidence does not always result in a successful outcome.
Such was the case with Bechs & ABC Flytteforretning ApS from Kolding, which was fined for allegedly failing to pay the toll. Although the on-board unit (OBU) was functioning correctly and the payment had been debited from the account, the Danish Road Safety Agency rejected the carrier’s appeal.
“We submitted full documentation—tracking data, bank statements, confirmation of device functionality. And yet the appeal was dismissed without proper consideration of our evidence,” said the company’s owner, Michael Jespersen.
In its decision dated 20 February, the agency stated that there was no possibility of further appeal and that non-payment would result in referral to the police. Only after the intervention of the DTL transport association did Sund & Bælt agree to waive the fine. However, official confirmation of this decision had not been issued as of 24 March (editor’s note).
ITD urges carriers to challenge fines and verify their accuracy
ITD is encouraging all carriers to carefully review each fine they receive and to submit them for legal review. As of 12 March 2025, the organisation had received over 900 reports, all of which are currently being contested.
Foreign carriers may submit appeals via the official website of the Danish toll system: https://vejafgifter.dk/en/objection. It is important to note that objections must be filed within 60 days of the date the fine was issued.
“It is unacceptable that carriers must use their own resources to identify and correct errors in a state-run system. The responsibility for ensuring the system operates correctly lies with the operator,” said the ITD president.
