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Timeline: How the system took its toll
Page 29
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January 2003: Ater initial legal challenges the German government formally announces the launch date for its distance-based charging system will be 31 August 2003. FTA and CM representatives travel to Germany to check out the trial system.
May 2003: The FTA calls for a delay until the availability of vehicle telematic units has improved. It predicts widespread chaos as thousands of trucks will be left without the necessary technology.
July 2003: The European Commission steps in to investigate whether the charge discriminates against foreign hauliers. August 2003: The German government postpones the launch by two months to make sure payment equipment works. A telematies expert alleges that the charging system can be beaten with some distinctly low technology all that's needed to make a truck 'invisible' is a sandwich wrapped in fail placed over the dashboard mounted CPS antenna. German hauliers stage protests against the toll; the International Road Transport Union demands the EC investigates concerns that few on-board units will have been fitted before charging begins in November. September2003: German reports indicate that the launch will be delayed again after bills produced in the trials were found to be inaccurate.
October2003: After 20,000 on-board units are recalled due to a software fault Toll Collect admits it does not know when it will be able to start charging. The UK's Treasury emphasises it will take its time over plans for the Larry Road User Charge fallowing the political and financial fiasco in Germany.
June 2004: Toll Collect begins installation of OBUs again following weeks of trials. A spokesman says every error has been monitored and corrected and the system is on schedule for a 1 January 2005 launch.
November 2004: Fears grow over a lack of service providers in the UK to install the OBUs and apparent discrimination to hauliers not using them.