An interview is presented with Karel Feix, General Director of Kapsch Telematic Services Prague s.r.o., about the implementation of lorry road pricing in the Czech Republic. The distance-based pricing system for HGVs will be implemented from January 1st 2007. In the first phase 171 tolling gantries were built on more than 950km of highways and motorways. The second phase will extend the electronic toll collection (ETC) system to a further 1,198km of first-class roads by July 2007. The scheme was needed following the introduction of distance-based electronic tolling systems for Germany and Austria and following the increase in trade between Western and Eastern Europe. Annual income from the Czech ETC scheme is expected to be US$229-275 million, compared with US$41 million with the existing system of highway stamps. Details are given of the preparatory work for the introduction of the scheme and the installation of the infrastructure. User access and interoperability are discussed.
Abstract