ELECTRONIC ROAD TOLL SYSTEM AND ITS INSTALLATION ON LITHUANIAN ROADS

Abstract

For the use of the national highway network of Lithuania, freight vehicles pay a fee of a fixed amount using the system of purchasing electronic vignettes (hereinafter referred to as e. vignettes). The tax is paid for a certain period (day, week, month, or year) regardless of the distance traveled by vehicles. Such a taxation model does not value the “polluter pays” principle enshrined in EU legislation and does not allow covering the damage caused by freight vehicles to the road infrastructure. Road maintenance and development program financing law no. VIII-2032 by the law on the amendment of articles 2, 6, 9 and appendices 2, 5, VĮ Lithuanian Road Directorate until 2023 must develop and implement an electronic road toll system that should replace the currently used e. vignettes. The article presents the currently tolled road network of Lithuania, the financial impact on the companies providing transportation services after the introduction of the electronic road toll system. The road toll systems operating in European countries and Lithuania and their operating technologies, marginal tariffs are analyzed, and a methodology is proposed, based on which it would be possible to fill in the list of currently tolled roads. A company providing cargo transportation services has been selected, and it has been determined how the amount of paid taxes will change after the implementation of the electronic road toll system on Lithuanian roads. It has been determined that after the introduction of EKRS for companies providing transportation services that carry out long-distance transport in Lithuania, the amount of taxes paid for using state roads will increase significantly.