Germany wants to charge the foreign drivers

The Minister of Transports in Berlin wants to charge the foreign drivers running on German highways. The collected money will be used o repair roads and modernize the infrastructure.

According to the project prepared by experts of the German Ministry, the fee for using the roads - highways and modernized roads - by cars and trucks with gauge up to 12 tons, will be between 80 and 365 euro per year.

A vignette for two months would cost between 30 and 125 euro, for ten days between 10 and 45 euro. All these taxes would bring annually to the Transport's budget between 3.41 and 15.5 billion euro. The proposals include a fee for motorcyclists when running on the highway. According to documents obtained by "Bild", the fee for two-wheeled motorized vehicles would be 30 euro per year and 10 euro for two months.

The tax charged for large dimension vehicles (over 12 tons), was extended in July also for the national roads with two lanes.

20 countries in Europe charge a highway fee

• The drivers must buy a vignette in France, Greece, Ireland, Croatia, Macedonia, Poland, Portugal, Serbia and Spain.
• In Bulgaria about 7 euro for a week.
• In Slovakia the vignette for one year costs 50 euro, 14 euro per month and 7 euro per week.
• In the Czech Republic, cars must have a toll ticket in order to run on high-speed roads. The ticket costs about 47 euro a year, 10 euro for two weeks, 12 euro for a month.
• In Romania the charging is done by requiring to all vehicle owners to pay a vignette. The tax for Bucharest - Constanta highway is 11 Lei.  In addition the drivers pay a road tax which is included in the fuel's price.
• In Austria, the vignette costs 76.50 euro a year and about 8 euro for ten days.
• In Switzerland the vignette costs 31.50 euro per year.
• In Hungary the drivers pay for highway, 148 euro per year, about 20 euro per month and 10 euro for a week.
• In Norway there are about 140 points of charge (fee for bridges and tunnels).