Important changes in the toll payment system

New toll road sections

On 1 January 2019, a number of new expressway and main road sections opened in 2018 will become part of the toll road network. In the e-toll system applicable to heavy duty vehicles with a gross weight of over 3.5 tonnes, the total length of toll road sections will increase from 6,880 km to 6,914 km (the number of basic tolled sections will change from 2,462 to 2,474). The new toll road sections are listed in the table below.

The complete list of toll road sections in the e-toll system is included in Annex 1 of Decree 25/2013 (V. 31.) NFM, and those in the e-vignette system in Annex 2 of Decree 37/2007 (III. 26.) GKM.

No more exemption for detours

As a result of an important change in the e-toll system for heavy duty vehicles with a gross weight of over 3.5 tonnes, the toll sections designated as detours will no longer be toll exempt as of 25 December 2018.

Until the end of 2018, any toll section designated as a detour is automatically exempt from toll. The previous legal provisions did not differentiate between ad hoc and fixed detours, nor was it possible to take into account when someone had already planned to travel on a route that was later designated as a detour.

Considering that in the latter case exemption for the vehicles concerned is not justified, the new legislation eliminates this possibility. At the same time, it also stipulates that in the case of ad hoc detours (in effect for no longer than 31 days), heavy duty vehicles travelling on the detour route shall be exempt from fines even if they have not fulfilled their toll payment obligations for the given road section (i.e. they have not purchased a route ticket or their on-board unit has insufficient balance).

The relevant regulations remain unchanged in the e-vignette system, thus no toll shall be paid for the use of otherwise toll sections that the road operator has designated as a detour.

Stricter emission classification

Another important amendment to the rules affecting the e-toll system will make the emission classification of motor vehicles stricter from 1 January 2019. Unlike now, only vehicles powered by engines of emission class EURO V or higher will be eligible for category A, which offers the most affordable rates. The reason for the amendment to the rules is to foster the enforcement of the “polluter pays principle” and to take account of the automotive developments concerning engines of the past few years.

New classification of the emission categories of heavy duty vehicles (with a gross weight of over 3.5 tonnes):

• Category A: motor vehicles with a minimum EURO V engine
• Category B: motor vehicles with a EURO II, EURO III and EURO IV engine
• Category C: motor vehicles with a EURO I engine or worse

Differentiating factors for the calculation of category-based toll:

Toll rate per kilometre from 1 January 2019, taking into account the above emission classes and differentiating factors (gross amount):