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IRU calls for toll enquiry

28th August 2003
Page 4
Page 4, 28th August 2003 — IRU calls for toll enquiry
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Which of the following most accurately describes the problem?

• The International Road Transport Union (IRU) has demanded the European Commission holds an investigation into the already-delayed German road toll system amid concerns that few on-board units (MIA) will have been fitted before charging begins on 2 November.

Wim Smolders from the IRU says that the number of Cells fitted to vehicles is just a fraction of those required: "Companies running trucks without OBUs will be at a competitive disadvantage to operators that have them, especially as the alternative means of payment are less convenient and risk being severely overloaded.

"Non-German haulers have received even fewer of the DBUs than their German colleagues and this will not be corrected before 2 November.

"When the road charge is levied, it will be necessary to compensate operators, as the aim of distance-related charging should be to make transport more efficient, not to increase total budget revenue. Toll income must be used to finance road infrastructure and compensation must not discriminate against non-German hauliers," he adds.

Freight Transport Association head of external affairs, Geoff Dossetter, agrees: "Across Europe, there is tremendous concern about the German toll system."