Toll
Our glossary was created to help you learn the most important definitions in the transport industry. Therefore, it could not lack the explanation of what toll is. A toll is a charge between two points of a road. Its amount depends on several factors, including weight and type of vehicle (for example, trucks pay more, motorcycles less) and type of route. Sometimes additional tolls are also applied for bridges, tunnels, and mountainous sections, which is why a cross-country toll is also so common. This toll may be collected as a central or local tax or by the private owner of the facility. It may also be based on preferential conditions, e.g. for residents of a particular area, or vary depending on the time of day.
Toll in Poland and in Europe
The toll in Poland, or in fact the toll collection system, is called ViaToll. It may be based on GPS satellite technology or short-range wireless communication based on ground transmitters. It is also worth mentioning that in Poland toll is collected on selected roads from each truck and passenger vehicle as well as from buses using the ViaBOX mechanism (a device located inside the vehicle), which enables electronic payment.
Toll in Europe, and more specifically any tolls in the European Union, are differentiated. The entire system is defined by Directive 1999/62/EC, which provides all the details on the main types of tolls. These include those related to the use of infrastructure, as well as those dependent on kilometers traveled. There is also a choice of the form of payment by the member states, and the collection of fees is carried out on the basis of electronic tolls or vignettes. It is also worth knowing that European directives stipulate that toll collection systems must be interoperable, which means that with one onboard device, each driver can use electronic toll collection in all EU countries.
Toll in road transport - why is it so important and what role does it play?
Transport is one of the main factors of economic development, however, its high intensity destroys the infrastructure. That is why road tolls have been introduced, which are intended, among other things, for the repair and modernization of roads. Transportation is very dynamic and efficient and is an important link between the economy and the community, which is why taking care of the road infrastructure is so important. Initially, the fees applied only to vehicles weighing more than 12 tons, but this limit was lowered as road use increased. It is also worth knowing that modern technologies have allowed us to introduce beneficial solutions related to toll collection. Thanks to that, they do not concern only gates on toll freeways which created traffic jams and delays. Currently, the launch of vignettes has significantly improved traffic organization, and an even better solution was the introduction of electronic tolls, for the collection of which there was no need for drivers to stop on the road.
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