A test for rekeningrijden (the Dutch name for electronic road pricing) will be carried out on the A12 Motorway between Woerden and De Meern between September 1998 and April 1999. This is required in order to test four technical systems for rekeningrijden. The intention is to introduce rekeningrijden in the Netherlands in the year 2001 at the locations and times that it is needed the most, i.e. in the morning rush hour on roads around Amsterdam, Rotterdam, Utrecht and The Hague. The cabinet is applying this measure in order to achieve a better spread of traffic throughout the day, and to improve the accessibility of the cities. At the time of publication of this brochure, the Act on Rekeningrijden had yet to be approved by the Dutch Parliament. However, even at this preparatory stage, the government is keen to provide information to anyone affected by the measure. This brochure answers a number of questions, such as why and when? And, in particular: how? How will rekeningrijden actually work? Not all questions can be answered. Such as: where will the fee collection points be located? How will the revenues of rekeningrijden be spent? No details are known of this, but the Coalition agreement of the current cabinet states that the revenues will be used for tax relief purposes. Rekeningrijden must tie in optimally with local traffic and transport policies. After all, action taken in the traffic situation at one location will affect the amount of traffic elsewhere. Therefore close consultations will be held with regional partners to undertake local and regional measures, to avoid traffic taking alternative routes, and also to determine the location of the fee collection points. Rekeningrijden is not an isolated measure. It is part of a total package of measures to keep the major cities accessible. This brochure therefore provides information on the various choices open to road users, which may also contribute to reducing traffic on the roads. (A)
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