| Updates on the EUROVIGNETTE system
2 October 2008 The Directorate General for Internal Policies of the Union published a study “PRICING SYSTEMS FOR ROAD FREIGHT TRANSPORT IN EU MEMBER STATES AND SWITZERLAND”. The study aims to analyze charging systems in force, their impact in light of the proposed development of the Eurovignette directive. The study also put recommendations in place discussing the advantages and disadvantages of the currently used charging systems – i.e. time-based and distance based. According to ASECAP’s report from the TRAN Committee’s Session held on 9 September 2008 “The main findings of the study can be summarized as follows: There is no significant evidence that the implementation of charging schemes for road freight transport has any impact on modal shift; Introduction of charging schemes has a positive impact on the fleet renewal; When only a limited part of the national network is covered, traffic diversion is considerable; Time-based vignettes cannot be considered as being part of a “fair” charging scheme Distance-based pricing should be encouraged since it offers the possibility to internalise external costs, to guarantee an overall traffic management, a transparent and user-friendly system, a greater degree of technological flexibility; The European countries should move towards a system that would allow them to implement highly differentiated tariffs to better take into account regional realities, context etc.) The geographic scope of the directive should be extended (entire network)”
The whole study is available HERE. Source: ASECAP
The end of the Horgos – Pozega concession
6 October 2008 The Serbian Government signed a concession agreement on the completion and maintenance of the 250 km section between the town of Horgos and Pozega with the consortium formed by Spanish Fomento de Construcciones y Contratas (FCC) and Austrian Alpine-Mayreder in late March 2007. However, in September 2007 FCC back out from the agreement and transferred half of its concession rights to PORR. In the spring of 2008 first news had emerged that the construction may be delayed and in the summer first voices about the cancellation of the agreement emerged. The Government has finally decided to break the concession agreement in September 2008 . The Government is also not willing to accept Alpine-Porr’s proposal to be awarded the construction of the Ostruznica-Preljine motorway in exchange for the cancelled agreement. Reportedly, Alpine-Porr is requesting EUR 35 mil as compensation for the investments it had so far. The agreement was grounded because Alpine-Porr requested additional guarantees, which the Serbian Government would not fulfill. Source: European PPP Center |
