From 1 July 2026, the Netherlands will scrap the Eurovignette and introduce a pay-per-kilometre truck toll. The charge will apply to Dutch and foreign trucks over 3.5 tonnes, with vehicles required to use a working on-board unit (OBU) from the start of the scheme. Rates will vary by weight and emissions class, meaning cleaner and lighter vehicles will pay less per kilometre.
The eye-catching part is how roadside checks will work. Fixed and mobile observation equipment will be used along Dutch motorways to check passing trucks for a valid toll box. When the system produces a “hit”, an ILT motorcycle inspector stationed nearby can follow the truck and guide it to a control point, where colleagues will carry out the roadside check and deal with any fine.
The motorcycles are Yamaha TRACER 9 GTs, adapted for enforcement work by Modiforce B.V. and finished in ILT livery. Yamaha Motor Benelux’s Ferdinand Altenburg said the adapted motorcycles would give inspectors “reliable and manoeuvrable equipment” for their roadside duties.
Vehicles that are not dealt with immediately may also be placed on a signalling list. Number-plate recognition can then be used to identify them later, allowing inspectors to stop the truck and collect the fine on the spot. If payment is refused, the vehicle can be temporarily taken out of service.
The change is not only about new costs. Motor vehicle tax will be abolished for trucks up to 12 tonnes and reduced for heavier vehicles, as the new kilometre-based charge becomes the main way of charging HGVs for road use. The toll will apply whether the vehicle is loaded or running empty.
ILT says roadside enforcement is needed because foreign hauliers are covered by the toll too. Physical checks are intended to prevent a situation in which Dutch operators are easier to enforce against while foreign trucks pass through without effective follow-up.
Part of the revenue from the truck toll is earmarked for making freight transport cleaner, including support for electric trucks, charging infrastructure and cooperation across the logistics chain.
