Photo: Ford
While paying for a few laps on the Nurburgring was never an issue, it seems that Germany is working to introduce taxation on its other great automotive pilgrimage site, the Autobahn. All for foreign drivers, of course. And while we, car aficionados, treat the manner this way, the move also means people who rely on the Autobahn for A to B transportation will have to pay for it.
Yesterday, Alexander Dobrindt, Germany’s infrastructure minister announced a proposal for the country will charge motorists from abroad for using their highway network. The law, which is due to be passed by the end of the year, becomes effective from 2015, as the AFP news agency writes.
Cars and motorcycles registered in other countries will be charged around EUR 10 (US$13) for a ten-day Autobahn pass, while the value doubles for a two-month period. There will also be an annual pass, which will set you back EUR 100.
The aforementioned one-year permit value is approximate, since the exact cost will be calculated taking into account the size of a vehicle, as well as its engine capacity, age and emissions.
German drivers will also have to pay for using the Autobahn, but the amount will be subsequently compensated for via a deduction on their vehicle tax.
This is a sensitive area, since protesters against the new law, which include Austria and the Netherlands argue that this violates the EU’s no discrimination rules, while Dobrindt insists that the future tax does respect the European rules.
Cars and motorcycles registered in other countries will be charged around EUR 10 (US$13) for a ten-day Autobahn pass, while the value doubles for a two-month period. There will also be an annual pass, which will set you back EUR 100.
The aforementioned one-year permit value is approximate, since the exact cost will be calculated taking into account the size of a vehicle, as well as its engine capacity, age and emissions.
German drivers will also have to pay for using the Autobahn, but the amount will be subsequently compensated for via a deduction on their vehicle tax.
This is a sensitive area, since protesters against the new law, which include Austria and the Netherlands argue that this violates the EU’s no discrimination rules, while Dobrindt insists that the future tax does respect the European rules.
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