Belgium's Kilometer Charge system for lorries generated €822.4 million between 1 April 2021 to 31 March 2022, up by 8.8% on the previous operating year.
Viapass, the interregional entity that coordinates and monitors the Kilometer Charge for lorries, has been in force in the country since 1 April 2016. It announced in its annual report that the revenues from the charge have increased year on year.
“Since the introduction of the Kilometer Charge, lorries registered in other countries than Belgium also pay proportionally for the use and wear of the roads,” Johan Schoups, CEO of Viapass, said in a statement.
“In the sixth year of the Kilometer Charge, foreign trucks accounted for 53% of the kilometres driven by trucks on paying toll roads in the three regions.”
Lorries pay per kilometre driven on toll roads in the country, however, the amount paid depends on the region where the road is located, the gross vehicle weight and the Euro emission standard of the vehicle.
"The higher the Euro standard of the truck and the lower its weight, the more advantageous the tariff per driven kilometre."
Improving conditions of roads and drivers
The funds generated from the system go to the Flemish, Walloon and Brussels Capital Regions based on the number of kilometres driven on the paying toll roads in their regions, and can be used to invest in infrastructure and mobility solutions, as well as training for truck drivers and initiatives to improve their working conditions.
In 2016, some €657 million was made by the system. By last year, this figure reached €755.7 million, and in 2021, this further increased to more than €822 million.
Meanwhile, the proportion of toll kilometres travelled by trucks in the two cleanest emission categories, Euro 6 and Euro 5, rose further from 95 to 96.6%.
“It is clear that the more favourable rate for ‘green’ trucks in the Kilometer Charge is a co-determining factor in the purchase of a more environmentally friendly truck,” said Schoups.
"Greener transport and more efficient use of the means of transport were two well-defined objectives the designers of the Kilometer Charge had in mind at the outset. They have clearly succeeded in doing so.”
