Baden-Wuerttemberg

The Baden-Württemberg State Ministry of Transport confirms: Preparations are underway for a toll on state and local roads. Resistance to this is forming from the economy in the southwest.

20.10.2023
Matthias Rathmann

Baden-Württemberg wants to charge fleet operators an entry fee in the future. The local Ministry of Transport has confirmed to the trade magazine trans aktuell that internal preparations are underway for a bill to introduce a truck toll on state and local roads. However, the ministry cannot yet answer the questions of when truck fleets will be subject to a road tax in the southwest, how high it will be and how it will be processed. “It is currently too early for details,” they say.

Ministry of Transport refers to coalition agreement

The State Ministry of Transport refers to the coalition agreement of the green-black coalition of May 5, 2021. The agreements contained therein on tolls on state and local roads “continue to be fully relevant”. It states that the coalition is seeking a regulation under state law if the project cannot be implemented with the support of the other transport ministers. So far, the Baden-Württemberg Transport Minister Winfried Hermann (Greens) has no partners at his side, which is why he now wants to act on his own initiative. The money is urgently needed, he said just a few weeks ago at Rail Day in the port of Stuttgart.

Also read “Kicked in the shins” BGL angry at the traffic lights

As of December 1st, freight transport companies nationwide will already be burdened with the CO2 toll, which is associated with a cost increase of 83 percent for a Euro 6 truck in long-distance transport. This makes the Baden-Württemberg industry and business associations even more incomprehensible that freight forwarding companies are now to be burdened even further.

BGL Süd: Toll screw finally over-tightened

The BGL Süd warns of serious competitive disadvantages for companies in the southwest. Transport companies would have to pre-finance the current toll increase, and ultimately their customers and consumers would have to bear the costs. “We are reaching our limits here, a special regulation in Baden-Württemberg in the current crisis would hit the export location and the rural areas in the country hard as a whole and finally turn the toll screw up,” says Dr. Timo Didier, Managing Director of the Württemberg Transport Association (VV Württemberg). He welcomes the fact that the CDU parliamentary group in the Baden-Württemberg state parliament has distanced itself from Hermann’s plans – although the CDU is a coalition partner.

Photo: VV Württemberg

“A special regulation in Baden-Württemberg in the current crisis would hit the export location and the rural areas in the state hard as a whole and finally turn the toll screw,” says Dr. Timo Didier, Managing Director of the Württemberg Transport Association (VV Württemberg).

The transport policy spokesman for the CDU parliamentary group, Thomas Dörflinger, explained to Südwestrundfunk that the coalition agreement applies, but that the economic situation has deteriorated massively. “We have to support our companies by, first of all, not burdening them with new taxes,” he said. Support comes from the ranks of the opposition. FDP traffic expert Dr. Christian Jung said it couldn’t be the case that in times of multiple crises people were still going the extra mile. “We cannot afford to dream of a world of cargo bikes and ignore the current situation,” he explains. “The issue of special tolls must finally be resolved.”

There is also a lack of understanding at the Baden-Württemberg Freight Forwarding and Logistics Association (VSL): “Instead of working on a modern European transport policy, we risk relapsing into small states,” explains VSL President Dr. Micha Lege. This cannot be conveyed to anyone outside of Germany – and actually not within the republic either. On the other hand, the shot threatens to backfire. “Such a solo effort puts Baden-Württemberg companies at a significant competitive disadvantage,” explains Lege. The green-black state government hopes for bubbling income, but has to be prepared for exactly the opposite if companies turn their backs on the state. In doing so, politics is doing the economy a disservice.

Photo: Regina Sablotny/Wiedmann&Winz

“Instead of working on a modern European transport policy, we risk falling back into small states,” explains VSL President Dr. Micha Lege.

The Baden-Württemberg Chamber of Industry and Commerce also warned of further burdens for companies. “A toll on state and local roads in Baden-Württemberg would be unsustainable for the economy in addition to the federal toll increase that has just been decided,” explained Dr. Axel Nitschke, general manager of the INK Rhein-Neckar, which is responsible for transport issues. HandwerkBW, the community of craft organizations in Baden-Württemberg, agrees with the argument: “In the most noticeable recession in many years, such a toll does not fit the times,” says general manager Peter Haas. The Association of Entrepreneurs Baden-Württemberg (UBW) is blowing the same tune. “Now is the moment to relieve the burden on the companies – and not to burden them further,” emphasizes UBW Managing Director Oliver Barta.

2023-10-20 06:38:02
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