Visitors' Road-tax in Belgium

[Eddy V]

Nothing really to do with Spa, but a road tax will be charged in Belgium as of Januari 2008 for ALL foreign reg cars.

It will very likely be a window sticker like the Swiss use, valid for a year.
Cost: 60 € or about £ 40 for cars, it hasn't been made clear yet how much they will charge for trucks.


No single or 5 day tickets planned at the moment.

[bella]

oh my god, the absolute bar stands, clearly they've worked out people don't ever stop in belgium, but just drive through to get to other places.

guess i'm going to have to look to find a new route for the nurburgring then

[terence]

Is that because all the Brits belive that the speed limits do not apply to them,? it would save the authoritys worrying about tracing those people who blatantly break speed limits

[Peter Mallett]

I'm not sure this is legal. Surely this is a restiction of the free movement of people and goods through the EU?

[terence]

But they are not resricting movement,just charging for it,besides if it does ever come into force I,m sure that these passes will be available at very large discounts for people driving to Spa,there ,its back on topic now.

[Eddy V]

This could be true Peter. I know the Dutch have already started a petition or something.

The way the government is trying to implement it, is not correct. Even somebody just over for the day (or only a few hours and a few miles into the country) should pay the tax.
£40 for a quick trip to Veurne (just 5 km from the French border)??????

As I drive a German reg car, it means I have to pay as well.


Sigh. Belgians, don't you hate them.
(Sorry, couldn't resist, this applies to another thread in US single seaters)

[Peter Mallett]

Understand your last comment Eddie I read that this morning.

[Peter Mallett]

Terry,

If you have to buy one of these stickers or whatever, presumably you can be stopped in order that the authorites can check that you have got one. In that case it cannot be free movement of goods and people (if that is the correct phrase).

Interestingly I saw that the border was being manned when we came back in October, wonder if this is in preparation for the implementation of this.

[Eddy V]

I don't think they are going to re-man the borders.
From what I heard they are planning to sell the things either via the net and in the major petrolstations.

Let us hope the plans for this tax will fail.

[bella]

with regards to the legality, the swiss do something similar (although they're not in the eu), and certainly the czech republic do too.

eddy's right, it is completely unpoliceable. it's fair enough if they want to impose a road tax on foreigners, but it's a bit... rude.

i wouldn't mind paying for a tax disc to travel throughout europe, as like a european road tax, but i can't see that being policeable either.

having said that, how do germany police their hgv tolls? i see those gantrys on the autobahns but how do they work?

[terence]

Do we know if these permits will be just for the duration of the visit,I dont see how it is policable,unless they are going to invest in the sort of Tax Disc type cameras in the yUUUK

[Peter Mallett]

According to Eddie's post the plan is for an annual ticket, no short breaks are being considered.

[terence]

In that case anyone who visits on a regular basis £40 is,nt so bad,if it does happen.

[Eddy V]

Originally Posted by bella

... how do germany police their hgv tolls? i see those gantrys on the autobahns but how do they work?

Gantry mounted cameras simply film the trucks and automatically they read the numberplate and know if you paid or not and how long a journey you booked.
Ie if they catch you driving near Hannover when you are supposed to go from Cologne to Bonn: oh dear!

Nobody will stop you (bar an occasional check), but if you continue the fine will get larger and can lead to a driving ban and court case.



Maybe time to spilt the thread?

[bella]

that'd be how they'd do it i suppose then, on border points they'd check the plates...

mind you, haven't they just discovered fire in belgium, that sort of technology is a bit far advanced

[redshoes]

Originally Posted by Peter Mallett

I'm not sure this is legal. Surely this is a restiction of the free movement of people and goods through the EU?

Not picking on you in particular Peter but this does seem to sum up the hysteria in this thread, which I'm struggling to understand.

Sure £40 sounds a lot if you are just passing through but think of it another way. If they imposed tolls on all their roads, those would apply to any vehicle regardless of where it was registered and who was driving. I'm sure few of you have such strong views against toll roads in other parts of Europe. Think of this a season pass for the toll roads.

The Road Tax is supposed to pay for use of the roads, if you are using their roads why shouldn't you pay? I'd have no problem if a similar ruling was introduced here - there's enough foreign registered cars driving around the UK and avoiding any UK road tax.

[terence]

My last trip to LeMans in 06 cost 28£ for using two different Toll Roads,I dont think that ,if it comes about,that the fee is that bad,I think it should be introduced over here,what with the amount of overseas traffic/visitors we get these days,then maybe the authorities could see thier way to remove some of the other revenue making devices planted along the roadside!Come to think of it ,if there was such a toll for imigrants,like £5,000 per year----

[ensign14]

Well, I was planning to use Brussels as a base for a trip to French World War I battlefields later this year. But if I have to pay an extortionate road tax that's about a third as I have to pay to use UK roads all year they can forget it. So there's a few bob missing from the Belgian economy.

[terence]

Why not use somewhere like St Omer,there are plenty of battlefields around that area.

[Cougar]

If the rest of Europe follow suite we are going to run out of windscreen space!!

Yet the authorities wont care and just see a window (scuse the pun) to gain yet MORE revenue by fining you for doing so..

[Eddy V]

Originally Posted by bella

....mind you, haven't they just discovered fire in belgium, that sort of technology is a bit far advanced

What do you mean bella?

Fire, err, what is that?



Okay, note to self: duck and lay low.

[Craig]

Guess it'll not stop the cheap eastern European hauliers rolling through on their way to Dover... which is a shame. But it'll certainly put a dent in the numbers of Brits running over to Belgium and back for cheap ciggies. I think we should do the same here. And it'd be easily enforced here too, us being an Island and all.

[MagnetON]

Originally Posted by redshoes

there's enough foreign registered cars driving around the UK and avoiding any UK road tax.

You'll probably find that if the car is in the country for more than a specific length of time that it has to be re-registered and therefore re-road taxed in the UK. There's a certain give and take in the whole road tax issue and while a €40 tax on foreign visitors using the roads sounds a bit much to take, remember that you pay the UK government £10 to take a flight OUT of the UK!!! Also it makes it very easy for the UK government to implement a similar tax as the entry points for cars are pretty tightly controlled, just bung a £40 tax on ferry crossings and there you go!

[Tim Falce]

Originally Posted by ensign14

Well, I was planning to use Brussels as a base for a trip to French World War I battlefields later this year. But if I have to pay an extortionate road tax that's about a third as I have to pay to use UK roads all year they can forget it. So there's a few bob missing from the Belgian economy.

I'm sure they will miss your 60€ as well, but if you read the first post again you will see it says "As of Januari 2008" so you should be OK this year.

[Alan Raine]

I'm surprised Golden Brown hasn't done it over here already. He's taxed everything else!