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Czech toll system generates revenue of CZK 7.1 billion in 15 months: Kapsch system helps reign in growth of transit traffic in the Czech Republic.
Current earnings from the levying of electronic tolls in the Czech Republic amounted to CZK 7.1 billion (around EUR 284 million) after 15 months of operation (since the beginning of 2007). This result was recently announced by the Czech Ministry of Transport. These earnings were mainly achieved on the basis of the perfectly functioning toll system installed and operated by Kapsch TrafficCom AG. This system is also contributing to a slight fall in the growth of traffic on Czech roads, despite the overall rising trend for Europe as a whole.
“Traffic has been growing continuously month by month in the Czech Republic in recent years. This is due to economic growth and increasing consumption in Central Europe. For the Czech Republic as a transit country, it is therefore all the more important to secure corresponding revenues to maintain and improve the road infrastructure,” explains Erwin Toplak, CEO of Kapsch TrafficCom. “At the same time, the toll system installed by Kapsch is making a considerable contribution to reigning in the strong growth in transit traffic and therefore making it possible to better plan the long-term development of traffic in the Czech Republic.”
The D1 motorway alone brings in 36% of revenue – most users pay in advance
The Czech toll system has generated revenue totalling CZK 7.1 billion (around EUR 284 million) in its first 15 months of operation (since 1st January 2007). The strongest months for the electronic levying of tolls were October and November 2007, each raising in excess of CZK 500 million (more than EUR 20 million). The trend set in these months is continuing in 2008. Revenue for the 1st quarter of 2008 reached CZK 1.5 billion (EUR 60 million). By class of road, 76.5% of toll revenues were generated on Czech motorways and 23.5% on the country’s expressways (including trunk roads). Due to its location, the D1 motorway alone accounts for 36% of total toll revenues in the Czech Republic. 60% of all tolls are taken from Czech vehicles, followed by Slovakian lorries (14%) and Polish vehicles (7%). Barely 0.7% of annual revenues are raised from Austrian lorries. Most road users pay in advance: 66% of the currently 273,000 owners of On-Board Units (OBUs) make use of the option to pay in advance.
At present, tolls are levied in the Czech Republic on some 1,000 km of motorways and expressways, and since January 2008, on approx. 200 km of trunk roads. All vehicles weighing 12 tonnes or more are subject to a toll. They pay an average of CZK 4.05/km (€ 0.16). The Czech Ministry of Transport is planning to expand the toll to include all vehicles weighing more than 3.5 tonnes from January 2009.
Kapsch TrafficCom AG is an international provider of innovative traffic telematics systems, products and services. Kapsch TrafficCom develops and supplies mainly electronic toll systems (Electronic Toll Collection – ETC), especially Multi-Lane Free-Flow (MLFF) ETC systems, and offers the technical and commercial operation of these systems. In addition, Kapsch TrafficCom offers traffic management solutions that focus on traffic safety and traffic influencing, electronic access control systems and parking space management. With more than 140 toll systems installed worldwide in 30 countries in Europe, Australia, Latin America, the Asia-Pacific and South Africa, with a total of more than eleven million transponders and 11,000 equipped lanes, Kapsch TrafficCom has positioned itself as one of the world’s market leaders in ETC systems. Kapsch TrafficCom has its headquarters in Vienna, Austria, and has subsidiaries and representative offices in 18 countries.
Vienna, Tuesday, 8. April 2008
