It’s a vote that might cost hauliers dear but, if its supporters are right, it could also mean cleaner air and quieter roads: the European Parliament’s backing, on June 7, of the revised ‘Eurovignette’ scheme means that new tolls for heavy goods vehicles will come into place, as lawmakers bid to cut pollution from the trucks.

The 505 to 141 vote, by MEPs in Strasbourg, marks the last major legislative hurdle for the measure aimed at charging hauliers for air and noise pollution costs in addition to motorway tolls. The directive means that revenue from these charges can improve the performance of transport systems and cut pollution across the EU. Trucks over 3.5 tonnes will be affected by the Eurovignette rules that cover not only trans-European transport (TEN-T) networks, but all motorways.

The current Eurovignette Directive, adopted in 1999 and revised in 2006, only covers roads in the TEN-T, which includes some 15,000 kilometres of tolled roads. It authorises, but does not oblige member states to charge hauliers between 15 and 25 euro cents per tonne/km. And the charges are only for infrastructure costs: until now, governments have been banned from charging for environmental damage, accident costs, and congestion costs, although there is a directive which would allow these costs to be internalised.

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