PAY PER MILE: SWITZERLAND'S DISTANCE-RELATED HEAVY VEHICLES FEE

Heavy vehicles on any Swiss road will soon have to pay the Distance-Related Heavy Vehicles Fee (HVF), set according to their weight and emissions. This article describes the HVF system and the sophisticated collection system that it will require. The system is required, because Switzerland has just agreed to accept the new EU 40t weight limit for lorries driving on its roads. According to Swiss national transport policy, the HVF will compensate for the higher weight limit, help to finance the new transalpine rail tunnels, and lead to heavy vehicles being charged for the actual costs that they cause. After the Swiss people voted in favour of the HVF in a referendum, the Swiss Federal Council has decided to introduce the HVF on 1 January 2001. The HVF will be applied to all domestic and foreign vehicles with laden weight over 3.5t. All Swiss heavy vehicles must be equipped with an appropriate onboard unit (OBU), which records the required trip data automatically and transmits it by DSRC radio link. Foreign vehicles may also use an OBU, but their drivers will usually prefer to use a rapid automated procedure, based on an identification card that they will receive on first arrival in Switzerland. The Traffic Telematics department of RAPP Ltd was selected as main consultant to the project, which began in 1997.