Although the aim of the reform is to modernise toll collection and support the decarbonization of transport, the authorities are also signalling effective oversight and real sanctions. The level of fines has already been formally set out in implementing regulations.
The new toll system from 1 July 2026
From 1 July 2026, the Eurovignette for trucks will no longer apply on Dutch roads. It will be replaced by a fully electronic road toll system, covering almost all motorways, selected national roads and local sections near larger cities.
The system will apply to N2 and N3 vehicles with a gross vehicle weight above 3.5 tonnes, regardless of the country of registration. The toll rate will depend on the vehicle’s weight and its CO2 emissions class. The average toll rate for 2026 is 19.1 euro cents per kilometre and will be indexed annually for inflation.
OBU instead of toll booths
The new toll collection model does not provide for toll booths or toll collection points. Every truck covered by the system must be equipped with an on-board unit (OBU), which records kilometres driven and transmits data to the service operator.
Transport en Logistiek Nederland, the Dutch transport organisation, emphasises that vehicle owners will be able to choose:
- a national service provider,which is mandatory for all users,
- a commercial EETS provider, serving several European countries, once approved to operate in the Dutch system.
However, the absence of a proper contract or problems with the OBU will be treated as a violation of the regulations.
Specific penalties are set out in implementing regulations
The government has announced continuous monitoring of compliance with the obligation to pay road tolls. In the event of violations, fines are предусмотрено, the amounts of which have been clearly specified in the implementing regulations to the Road Tolls Act.
According to Article 2 of the regulation specifying the level of penalties:
- driving with a faulty OBU is subject to a fine of EUR 500,
- driving with the OBU switched off results in a fine of EUR 500,
- using an OBU assigned to another truck means a fine of EUR 500,
- not having a valid contract with a payment service provider for the given truck involves a penalty of EUR 800, unless the vehicle has a statutory exemption.
At the same time, the legislator introduced a mechanism to ease the launch of the new system. For the first six months after the rules enter into force, all of the above penalties will be automatically reduced by 50%. This means that until 1 January 2027, the fines will amount to EUR 250 and EUR 400, respectively.
One penalty per day
The regulations also limit the accumulation of sanctions. Within 24 hours, at most one fine may be imposed on a single truck. If several violations occur during that time, the penalty with the highest предусмотрено amount will be applied.
Enforcement from day one
Although the new road toll system is intended to support the energy transition of heavy transport, the administration clearly signals that there will be no leniency for a lack of technical or formal preparedness. For carriers, this means choosing an operator in advance, installing the OBU, and verifying vehicle data in the RDW register.
In practice, the new toll system in the Netherlands is not only a change in the settlement method, but also a new area of financial risk, neglecting it can quickly translate into tangible costs.
