Austria wants to free motorway sections near the border with Germany from the toll. In this way, Austria is relaxing in traffic disputes with Germany during the winter season.
The conservative ÖVP, Greens and the liberal Neos voted in a committee meeting in the National Council in Vienna for an application to free five motorway sections near the German border from the vignette. The final decision is pending, but the decision is likely.
Exceptions planned for several routes
Exceptions are, inter alia, on the Westautobahn (A1) between the Walserberg and the junction Salzburg Nord as well as on the Inntalautobahn (A12) between the border and the junction Kufstein-Süd.
The Bavarian state government welcomed the move as a positive step. It is not the solution to all problems, but a positive signal, said Prime Minister Markus Söder (CSU).
With the measure the Austrian government wants to curb the avoidance traffic above all German motorists over country roads. Commuters who travel from Germany to the Austrian border area to work could benefit. A ten-day vignette costs in Austria next year 9.40 euros, one for the whole year costs 91.10 euros.
Years of dispute between Germany and Austria
Tyrol and Bavaria have been arguing about traffic for years, and not just because of the toll. For example, Tyrol has announced driving bans for several weekends and holidays over the winter season in order to prevent people avoiding traffic jams on the motorway.
Another point of contention between Germany and Austria is regular block clearance for trucks, which often lead to long traffic jams on the Bavarian side. For the first half of 2020, trucks are only allowed to cross the border in blocks of 20 days.
Every year around 2.4 million lorries drive over the Brenner Pass - more than any other Alpine border crossing in Switzerland and France. Many freight forwarders sometimes take a long detour to drive over the Brenner Pass. The state of Tyrol is therefore also committed to ensuring that the route from Munich to Verona is more expensive and therefore more unattractive by toll.