The Danish Ministry of Taxation implements GPS-based lorry road pricing

By launching the government platform Et Danmark, der står sammen (A Denmark That Stands Together), the government has stated that it will make a proposal for mileage-based lorry road pricing. In connection with the Budget for 2012, the government agreed with Enhedslisten (The Red-Green Alliance) on implementing lorry road pricing as quickly as possible and basing it on an ambitious model. The scheme will ensure that lorries pay for the pollution and road wear they cause to a larger extent than is the case today. This also applies to foreign lorries. Furthermore, the scheme will earn extra tax revenue compared to what is already presupposed which will be spent making public transport cheaper and promoting investments in public transport.
The Ministry of Taxation will be responsible for implementing the road pricing scheme.

The government wants to implement a flexible and forward-looking lorry road pricing scheme. Thus, the government has decided that the scheme will be based on GPS technology. This ensures that the scheme can be based on the experiences of other countries, including Germany in particular. Furthermore, the GPS solution provides the flexibility to make possible future adjustments to the taxable road network, e.g. to respond to the undesirable diverse traffic on the non-taxable road network.

The Ministry of Taxation has established a Road Pricing programme which is responsible for establishing the scheme. Among the programme’s first tasks will be to determine the overall scheme design, and to consolidate the timeline. Currently, the scheme is expected to be put into operation by the turn of the year 2014/15. A final date for the implementation will be announced once the consolidation is done.

Questions regarding the future road pricing scheme can be directed at the Head of Programme Klaus Østergård Jensen, klaus.o.jensen(snabel_a)skat.dk, phone: +45 7237 4406. Enquiries on the future system tender can be directed at Dorthe Hertz Bugge, dorthe.bugge(snabel_a)skat.dk, phone: +45 7237 4839.