Greens call for truck tolls on state and municipal roads
The Greens are calling for a truck toll on state and municipal roads in Saxony-Anhalt. This should be developed in the same way as the existing toll on federal highways and freeways. It is a question of justice to apply the polluter-pays principle to all roads, said parliamentary group leader Cornelia Lüddemann on Wednesday in Magdeburg. A corresponding motion is on the agenda in parliament on Friday.
According to the Greens, the revenue should be used to maintain and renovate the roads. In addition, the state government is to be called upon to advocate a uniform nationwide truck toll system at federal level.
Saxony-Anhalt's Infrastructure Minister Lydia Hüskens (FDP) rejects the proposal. She fears that it would place too great a burden on medium-sized transport and logistics companies. "Further negative effects would be the unavoidable price increases for the end consumer due to the increase in transport costs and the resulting boost to inflation," the FDP politician told the German Press Agency. Hüskens also warned of the administrative burden and the costs of setting up and operating a toll collection system.
The Greens see things differently. "We have spoken to many logistics companies in the country," said Lüddemann. More than half of the costs in logistics are personnel costs, and the toll currently accounts for four percent. Naturally, the companies are not enthusiastic about the proposal, said the parliamentary group leader. But if the revenue were invested in infrastructure, the companies would certainly understand, said Lüddemann.
Everything must be done to reduce CO2 emissions, said Lüddemann. At 18 percent of the total load in Germany, traffic is a driver here. "And not much has happened here in recent years."
The Parliament is set to discuss a motion advocating for a truck toll on state and municipal roads, as proposed by the Greens. Despite concerns about potential burdens on medium-sized transport companies, Lüddemann argues that investing the toll revenue in infrastructure improvements could be beneficial for logistics companies.
Source: www.dpa.com
