Co-author: Agnieszka Kulikowska – Wielgus
From 15 July 2024, the toll for vehicles with a maximum authorised weight of more than 3,500 kg (heavy goods vehicles) in Slovenia has been increased, according to an announcement by the toll system operator DarsGo.
The increase is due to the indexation or adjustment of the infrastructure charge to inflation in 2017-202 and will amount to 6.76 per cent.
In addition, the toll for the Karavanke tunnel has also increased. The increase will cover all classes of heavy vehicles, according to a DarsGo press release.
Hungarian motorway tolls to rise in line with inflation in 2025
New regulations from the Hungarian government, set to take effect in September, will pave the way for increased motorway tolls starting in 2025. The changes, outlined in a recent government decree, will link the infrastructure fee component of the electronic toll to inflation, meaning annual increases in line with the consumer price index.
The inflation rate change will work as follows:
- Reference Period: The base rate for the infrastructure fee will be adjusted based on the consumer price index (CPI) for August of the year preceding the year the toll changes take effect. For example, for toll changes in 2025, the reference CPI would be from August 2024.
- Comparison Period: This reference CPI will be compared to the CPI from August of two years prior. In our example, this would be August 2022.
- Calculation of Increase: If the CPI has increased between the comparison period and the reference period, the infrastructure fee will increase by the same percentage. For instance, if the CPI rose by 5% between August 2022 and August 2024, the toll would increase by 5%.
- Effective Date: The adjusted toll rate will take effect on the first day of the year the change is implemented. In our example, this would be January 1, 2025.
- Rounding: The adjusted toll rate will be rounded to two decimal places using standard mathematical rounding rules.
In essence, this means that the motorway toll will automatically adjust upwards each year if the consumer price index indicates that inflation has occurred. This ensures that the toll keeps pace with the rising cost of living and maintains the value of the revenue generated for infrastructure maintenance and development.
While the government maintains that these measures are essential for the upkeep and improvement of Hungary’s motorway network, concerns have been raised about the potential impact on lower-income drivers and those who rely on their vehicles for work.