The kilometer charge on our roads brought in 822 million euros for Belgium in one year (an increase of 8%). In Wallonia, the authorities ensure that this money collected is used for road maintenance, but there is a lot of work to be done.
Launched in 2016, the kilometer charge is charged to trucks over 3.5 tonnes using motorways and national roads.
A box placed at the front of the vehicle displays the distance traveled and the amount to be paid. “Since this morning, it is indicated that it consumed 23.37 euros for 138 km”, tells us a trucker. “A colleague who works for a carrier was banned from taking the motorways to avoid having to pay kilometer taxes as much as possible”he adds.
For its sixth year of operation, the system brought in 822 million euros for the three regions of the country, including 274 for Wallonia alone. What is this money for?
“The kilometer charge on heavy goods vehicles is fully reinvested by Sofico (Complementary Infrastructure Financing Company) in the maintenance and rehabilitation of the network. From 2010 to 2020, 2.5 billion have been invested”, specifies Héloïse Winandy, the spokeswoman for Sofico. “The arrival of the heavy goods vehicle kilometer charge was an additional revenue.”
However, some Belgian or foreign users continue to deplore the state of the network. “We continue to see potholes. When we go abroad, we see a clear difference, in France, in Germany,…”says a road user.
Never had the amount collected thanks to the kilometer charge been so significant. Responsible for the maintenance of national roads and highways since 2010, Sofico explains that it needs time to make up for the lack of investment in the past.