Transport Minister Andreas Scheuer will answer questions from the parliamentary committee of inquiry into the car toll on Thursday.
The toll operators also testify.
The parliamentary committee of inquiry into the car toll will question Transport Minister Scheuer on Thursday.
The aim is to clarify the problem of billions in contracts and Scheuer's transparency on this.
Observers believe that the hearing will influence Scheuer's career.
Berlin - The parliamentary committee of inquiry into the
car toll
wants to
review
Federal Transport Minister Andreas Scheuer's
role in the failed project and his problematic information policy towards the
Bundestag
.
These are abrasive, but also the heads of the
toll
-
operating companies
to testify on Thursday.
Because of terminated contracts, they still have an invoice for millions with the federal government.
Federal Minister of Transport @AndiScheuer testifies for the first time on October 1st before the committee of inquiry about the failed #PkwMaut.
The opposition is already demanding his # resignation https://t.co/XRCGKQWkBt
- VerkehrsRundschau (@vr_online) September 29, 2020
The European Court of Justice (ECJ) overturned the German
car toll plans
with a ruling in June 2019
, as they discriminated against foreign drivers.
But
Scheuer
had already
signed
multi-
billion contracts with
toll operators
: one in October for
toll
control
with MTS Maut & Telematik Services and Kapsch TrafficCom from Austria and one in December with AutoTicket, Kapsch and CTS Eventim to collect the infrastructure fee.
The
CSU *
politician
arranged for the contracts for a total of two billion euros to be terminated.
But the operators are now demanding compensation from the federal government in excess of 560 million euros.
Scheuer
argues that the operators had “not fulfilled their contractual obligations,” the
ministry
filed an out-of-court arbitration against the
toll operators
in February
to prevent the compensation payment.
Andreas Scheuer: His statements contradict protocols from "secret meetings"
Also
protocols
secret meeting between
scouring and toll operators
made for criticism *.
Because the information it contains does not match
Scheuer's
statements.
For example, on November 29, 2018, a representative of the operating companies CTS Eventim and Kapsch TrafficCom Scheuer offered, according to the memorandum protocol, "to wait until the ECJ ruled before signing a contract".
Scheuer rejected this, as the toll "should be introduced in 2020".
In addition, Scheuer is said to have promised lucrative "optional services" in the event that the required price for setting up the
toll system
"reduces".
If the statement is true, Scheuer would have
lied
in the
Bundestag
and offered services that might have had to be advertised.
Scheuer also came
under pressure
due to its non-transparent communication
.
For example, he subsequently had the secrecy level of files relating to the procurement procedure redefined, which meant that they were classified as confidential matters.
Andreas Scheuer: For some, his departure is already certain
All of this is likely to
require
unpleasant questions to be asked to the
Transport Minister
on Thursday
.
Some observers see Thursday's appointment as a
fateful hour
for his further political career.
FDP chairman Christian Jung is already of the opinion that the minister will have to vacate the post.
He demanded that
Chancellor Angela Merkel
* must dismiss him if he does not resign voluntarily.
* Merkur.de is part of the nationwide Ippen-Digital central network.
List of rubric lists: © dpa / Bernd Thissen